Magnetic stimulation cited as possible rehabilitative aid at international conference.

9 Jun 2008

The Magstim Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Summer School, held at the Institute of Child Health in London on 30th and 31st May 2008, presented pioneering research on the theme of Plasticity and Rehabilitation.

Researchers in TMS are now exploring the ways in which magnetic stimulation can be utilized in the diagnosis and treatment of a number of neurological conditions.

The Summer School, organised in collaboration with Professor Vincent Walsh of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London (UCL), was attended by over 300 registered delegates. The two-day scientific programme saw presentations from 16 eminent international academics and researchers, and there was an opportunity for the upcoming generation of researchers to pose questions to some of the most prominent pioneers in the field.

Sponsored by Magstim, the event also saw the launch of the company's new tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) device, as well as a preview of other new Magstim equipment that will be introduced over the coming months.

As part of an ongoing commitment to research, Magstim sponsored two academic prizes at the event. Dr. Marco Davare of UCL won the Magstim Young Investigator Award 2008 for his research into how the brain controls precise hand movements. The Poster Prize was won by PhD student Niamh Kennedy of Queen's University Belfast for her work on the effect of simultaneous contractions of ipsilateral muscles on changes in corticospinal excitability induced by paired associative stimulation. Both prizes were judged by a panel of leading experts connected with the Summer School, with Dr. Davare and Ms Kennedy winning £500 and £250 respectively.

 "The TMS Summer School was a great opportunity to learn about the very new techniques used for stimulating the brain. It is also an important place in which we can meet and discuss with people directly involved in the same research field," commented Dr Marco Davare after being awarded. "It is also a way for us ‘young scientists’ to be better known by the research community."

For a downloadable PDF of the final programme for 2008's event, please click here.

Magstim will be hosting another TMS Summer School in May 2009.

For more information about this and next year's event, please contact Andrew Thomas via andrew.thomas@magstim.com or call 01994 240798.