Magpro r100

High-frequency magnetic stimulation (HFMS) was performed using a magnetic stimulator MagPro R100 (Medtronic, Skovlunde, Denmark) equipped with a circular coil (type MC-125; diameter = 130 mm, thickness = 11.3 mm). The HFMS protocol consisted of 10 bursts (1 s apart) of 20 pulses at 100 Hz with 5 repetitions (10 s apart) as previously published [8 (link)]. HFMS was delivered to hippocampal slices through the coil positioned vertically and closely above the surface of the slices (8 mm distance). The intensity of magnetic stimulation was adjusted to 40–50% of its maximal output in all slices (corresponding to 60–75 A/μs).

Single-pulse TMS was generated by a MagPro R100 magnetic stimulator (Medtronic, Skovlunde, Denmark) with a slightly angulated figure-eight coil, type D-B80. The stimulator generated a biphasic pulse with a pulse width of 280 μs. The head of the participants was comfortably positioned in a chin-forehead rest to minimize coil to head movement. The coil was positioned over the left M1, and fixed tangentially to the skull with the handle pointing backward and laterally at an angle of about 45° to the sagittal plane. The optimal position of the magnetic coil was determined for activating the right resting first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. To identify the hotspot, the coil was moved in 0.5 cm steps at a moderately suprathreshold stimulation intensity to identify the coil position which consistently elicited the largest motor-evoked potentials (MEPs). The optimal spot was marked with a soft-tip pen, and the coil was held in a fixed position by a mechanical arm (Manfrotto, Feltre, Italy). The correct position of the coil was continuously checked throughout the experimental session.

MEP recordings were performed using a MagPro R100 magnetic stimulator (Medtronic Inc., Shoreview, MN) connected to a figure-of-eight coil (diameter = 75 mm). Stimulation was delivered over the motor hotspot of the affected abductor pollicis brevis muscle. The stimulation location was established as the equivalent point of the scalp in the affected hemisphere relative to the unaffected motor hotspot of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle. The absence of an MEP response was confirmed at a stimulation intensity of 100% of maximal stimulation output.