The Effects of Bilateral Cerebellar rTMS on Cortical Function
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Neurophysiological Effects of Bilateral Cerebellar rTMS on Cortical Activity and Swallowing Function
IRAS ID
256171
Contact name
Ayodele Sasegbon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Swallowing function is controlled by two swallowing centres (one on each half of the brain). There is a dominant and non-dominant swallowing centre. Damage to any part of the brain can lead to swallowing problems, for example in strokes. Recovery of the ability to swallow is associated with increased activity (compensation) over the undamaged centre. The cerebellum is an area of the brain involved in the control and modulation of muscle movements. It is found at the back of the skull.
Over the past few years studies have tried to improve swallowing function using techniques to stimulate regions of the brain and encourage compensation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a technique which can temporarily increase or suppress activity over regions of the brain.
Our research group has extensively studied 10 Hz cerebellar stimulation and found it to be well tolerated, safe and easy to apply. We have published numerous studies using this technique following approval by previous ethics committees.
This study will use cerebellar rTMS to attempt to increase activity over the brain swallowing centres. It will also temporarily suppress activity over the dominant swallowing centre (a virtual lesion)before using cerebellar targeted rTMS to attempt to reverse this suppressive electrical and behavioural effect. We aim to compare the effectiveness of rTMS over the two halves of the cerebellum to rTMS over one half of the cerebellum in increasing activity over the swallowing centres and reversing the suppressive effects of low frequency rTMS 'virtual lesion' over the dominant swallowing centre.REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0119
Date of REC Opinion
3 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion