Fluoxetine does not influence response to continuous theta burst stimulation in human motor cortex.

Aim: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are thought to exert a clinical effect through various mechanisms, including through alteration in synaptic plasticity. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can induce temporary changes in synaptic excitability in cerebral cortex that resemble long-term potentiation and long-term depression that serve as a measure of synaptic plasticity in vivo. A version of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation called continuous theta burst stimulation can induce inhibition of cortical excitability that can be measured through a motor evoked potential.