Vestibular Cortex and TMS (CoVest)

In human, the cerebral cortex forms a network of vestibular cortical areas which functional role remains unknown. In patients with localised cortical lesions the investigator has previously demonstrated that the parieto-temporal cortex could regulate the inertial component of the vestibulo-ocular (VOR) responses whereas more ventral regions including the temporo-occipital cortex would be associated with gain regulation of these VOR responses.

The investigator's main purpose is to investigate the modalities of vestibular integration in these posterior parieto-temporal et temporo-occipital cortical regions. Thus, by using repetitive ttranscranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) the investigator will induce a transitory inhibition of one of these 2 cortical regions and register its effect on VOR responses. Based on theta burst stimulation (TBS) paradigm, the investigator will stimulate the region of interest by applying on the scalp repetitive burst (at 50 HZ) during 44sec. Then, during the consecutive cortical inhibition lasting for the 15 minutes poststimulation, the investigator will record the subject's VOR responses. The VOR gain will be calculated and the time constant and phase will provide an estimation of the inertial component of the VOR responses. The healthy subjects recruited on the basis of inclusion criteria during medical examination will be divided into two groups of 20 subjects each depending of their sites of stimulation, temporo-parietal or temporo-occipital. Each subject will perform three experimental sessions (of 1h in average each) separated by at least one week and corresponding to : (1) the right cortical stimulation, (2) the left stimulation and (3) the vertex stimulation serving as the control session.

The TMS paradigm is used in routine in hospital and research field and had very few negative consequences (mainly transitory and occasional headache).