Non-invasive neurostimulation: an emerging therapeutic modality in veterinary neurology

Non-invasive neurostimulation encompasses methodologies that apply stimulatory modalities to the nervous system without breaching the integument. These modalities, including electrical, magnetic or alternative forms of stimuli, facilitate the modulation of neural tissue excitability and the overarching neural networks implicated (Boes et al, 2018). Despite the demonstrated efficacy and safety of non-invasive neurostimulation for certain neurological pathologies in the human population (Terranova et al, 2019), a notable challenge persists as a result of the considerable interindividual variability in response to these interventions. This variability may be attributed to factors such as the absence of uniform stimulation protocols across research endeavours, inherent biological diversity and the specific neurophysiological state of the targeted neural regions (Terranova et al, 2019).

The execution of research in the domain of non-invasive neurostimulation is characterised by its time-intensive nature and the necessity for meticulous planning. Nevertheless, these investigations are imperative for the development of more effective therapeutic protocols, the determination of optimal stimulation parameters and the augmentation of neurostimulation outcomes for the amelioration of diverse neurological conditions. Among the array of non-invasive neurostimulation techniques explored (Terranova et al, 2019) – such as transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation across various nerves, single or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation – repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has emerged as the pre-eminent modality within both human and, to a lesser extent, veterinary medical research, attracting significant scientific scrutiny for its application across a spectrum of neurological disorders.