How magnetic brain stimulation affects the cerebellum's cells
Official title: Cellular Mechanisms of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Cerebellar Cortex
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11166689 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how magnetic pulses to the head influence cells in the cerebellum by combining lab recordings, computer simulations, and brain measurements during simple eye-movement tests in people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $541,417 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS112183-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11166689 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults who can safely undergo noninvasive brain stimulation and MEG/EEG testing and can perform simple eye-movement tasks, typically people without implanted metal or electronic devices and without seizure risk.
✕Less likely to help
People with contraindications to TMS or MEG/EEG (for example, certain metal implants, pacemakers, or uncontrolled epilepsy) or whose conditions are unrelated to cerebellar function are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will record electrical responses to magnetic pulses in preserved turtle cerebellum tissue to learn which cell parts are activated. They will use high-resolution computer models to map the electric fields that TMS creates inside the tissue and design a device to produce a consistent field for slice experiments. The team will then combine MEG, EEG, and TMS while people perform eye-movement (saccade) tasks to link the lab and model findings to human brain responses. This mixed approach aims to translate cellular-level findings into measures that can be recorded noninvasively in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make cerebellar TMS safer and more effective by improving how pulses are targeted and interpreted for conditions involving movement, balance, or mood.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows TMS can change brain signals and behavior, but linking cellular responses in cerebellar tissue to human MEG/EEG recordings using this turtle-to-human approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Padmavathi Sundaram — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Patel, Padmavathi Sundaram
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Noninvasive brain stimulation to reduce hyperexcitability in a Fragile X rat model
A small animal study tests whether low-frequency rTMS can calm overactive brain activity and improve thinking-style tasks in a rat model of Fragile X and autism.
-
Accurate, low-cost trackerless neuronavigation for TMS
A low-cost, trackerless computer-vision system to guide transcranial magnetic stimulation by precisely locating brain targets on each patient.
-
Sequential treatment additions to help long-term opioid therapy patients feel better
A multi-step approach tests adding low-dose buprenorphine, cognitive behavioral therapy, and brain stimulation to improve pain and quality of life for people on long-term opioid therapy without forcing a taper.
-
High-frequency brain stimulation for trigeminal neuropathic pain
A large, multi-site trial tests a non-invasive brain stimulation method to relieve chronic facial nerve pain for adults who have not found relief from other treatments.
-
Modulating how the brain processes thinking about others in autism with noninvasive brain stimulation
This project tests whether a noninvasive brain treatment (rTMS) can adjust brain activity linked to understanding others’ thoughts and feelings in adults with autism.
-
Closed-loop prefrontal TMS guided by real-time EEG in primates
A study tests a brain-guided TMS approach that uses real-time EEG to tailor stimulation to the prefrontal cortex, starting in non-human primates with the goal of improving future treatments for psychiatric disorders.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.