December 2, 2025

@michaelokun

How best to honor a giant and celebrate the late Mark Hallett’s legacy (1943-2025)? One way is for us to share his papers and teaching. This TMS Primer he wrote continues to be a big hit for all generations. Transcranial refers to delivering stimulation across the skull to influence brain circuits. In one of his classic papers in Neuron, Mark Hallett taught us how transcranial magnetic stimulation evolved into a powerful research tool and an emerging therapeutic technology. Mark’s work helped to shape this field and opened the door for many of us who study motor control, brain circuitry and human behavior. Key Points: - Mark explains the biophysics of TMS, including how magnetic coils generate focal electric fields that activate or inhibit brain circuits. - Mark teaches us how TMS can safely probe motor, sensory, and cognitive networks and can be used to map human brain function. - Mark reviews emerging therapeutic applications including Parkinson’s, stroke, dystonia, pain, epilepsy, tinnitus and depression. My take: Mark was one of a kind. He left us with an amazing legacy and his work in TMS is one of his many great contributions. RIP my friend. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me about his pioneering primer on this topic: 1- He helped us to understand that TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate brain circuits w/out surgery. 2- His pioneering work helped to set the stage for how we study brain function in real time. 3- He appreciated that TMS could modulate circuits involved in movement, thinking, memory, vision and mood. 4- He was an early researcher in repetitive TMS and advocated its wide use to address symptoms in conditions such as Parkinson’s, stroke recovery and depression. 5- Mark’s legacy lives on through every health care provider and researcher who uses TMS to help folks live better lives. https://cutt.ly/ptyV2KXN #parkinson #stroke #epilepsy #pain #michaelokun #fixelinstitute