Identification of brain functional connectivity during acute transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation: A 3T fMRI study.

Objectives: A feasibility proof-of-concept study was conducted to assess the effects of acute tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) on the central nervous system in healthy volunteers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Materials And Methods: Fourteen healthy volunteers were included in a prospective, single-site study conducted on a clinical 3T MRI scanner. Four scans of functional MRI, each lasting 6 min, were acquired: two resting-state fMRI scans (prior and following the TNS intervention) and in-between two fMRI scans, both consisting of alternating rest periods and noninvasive acute transcutaneous TNS (TTNS).