High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex does not influence spinal nociception but increases unpleasantness of acute electrically induced pa…

We aimed to investigate whether the repetitive TMS (rTMS) stimulus paradigm used for pain control in chronic pain also inhibits experimental electrically induced pain and whether this assumed pain relieve results in changes of spinal nociceptive excitability as measured by the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR). The NFR is a spinal physiological reflex of protection which underlies spinal and supra spinal control. It is known to correlate well with the subjective pain threshold in healthy men. Twenty minutes of 10-Hz rTMS between two NFR measurements were applied and compared to a sham-rTMS applied over the domina…