DiMeN Flexible funding allowed me to take part in University of Nottingham’s Transcranial Magnetic Simulation (TMS) Workshop. The workshop started with seminars on TMS history, delivered by the researchers who invented TMS, and discussed the strengths of limitations of TMS. After these seminars, we were then invited to take part in practical sessions working with neuronavigation, TMS neurostimulation, motor cortex target findings, and learning how to optimize TMS to work with Electroencephalogram. This training came at the perfect opportunity as it coincided with a research project that was being developed in my laboratory. I was able to get involved with the project as it uses repetitive TMS (rTMS) to test for pain. I was instrumental in training researchers involved in the project, and it broadened my scope of research as well. The practical experience that I gained from the training workshop and post-workshop research has allowed me to consider a post-doctoral research project in to TMS.
Learning about the history, strengths and limitations of TMS was also beneficial in writing a systematic review and meta-analysis on post stroke pain treatment, as it is a new and upcoming treatment for post stroke pain. One of the comments that I received from reviewers was that I did not evaluate the benefits and limitations of TMS. After the workshop, I had a better understanding of the placebo effect induced in TMS and what the gold-standard control is. This meant that I could evaluate studies included in my review and give a comprehensive consideration in my discussions. After these revisions, my meta-analysis paper was accepted by the Journal of Pain for publication.
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