Table 2 Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) responses measured in this study

Motor threshold

–

Glutamatergic system

High motor threshold means decreased corticospinal excitability

[33, 41, 42]

 Resting motor threshold (RMT)

Corticospinal excitability (% of maximum stimulator output)

–

–

–

 Electric field (EF)

Corticospinal excitability (induced electric field, V/m, at the cortex)

–

–

–

Silent period (SP)

Corticospinal inhibition

GABAergic system

Long silent period means increased corticospinal inhibition

[33, 38, 43]

Input–output curve (IO-slope)

Dose-dependent response to TMS

Synaptic connectivity and plasticity

The steepness of the IO-slope reflects the level of synaptic connectivity and plasticity

[40, 44,45,46]