Figure 1.

Test amplitudes are elicited by single-pulse TMS before and after application of rTMS protocol and can be used as a measure of cortical excitability. The effect depends, among other factors, on stimulation frequency and pattern. rTMS at high frequencies (e.g., 10 Hz) increases cortical excitability, while low-frequency rTMS (e.g., 1 Hz) decreases cortical excitability. TBS is a patterned form of rTMS and decreases cortical excitability when applied as a continuous train and increases cortical excitability when applied intermittently, i.e., 2 s repeated every 10 s.