A new hardware-software coil positioning system for interleaved TMS/fMRI: A motor cortex stimulation study

Interleaved TMS/fMRI is a promising technique to study connectivity between brain areas. Functional connectivity can be assessed by targeting a cortical area-of-interest using TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) and directly monitoring the effects on local and remote BOLD activity by means of fMRI. An important practical challenge is the accurate positioning of the coil inside the MRI scanner. Here, we describe a novel positioning method and report pilot results on its usage studying the motor system.