Transcranial magnetic stimulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

This review article describes the role of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The relevance of routine parameter of TMS, central motor conduction time and amplitude of the motor evoked potential (MEP), in making the diagnosis of an upper motor neuron lesion will be discussed. This is followed by a section about other TMS parameters that can be measured as part of a routine TMS examination and that in part have been shown to possess a higher diagnostic sensitivity than the routine parameters. In the final section of this article we will discuss specialized techniques of TMS in ALS.