Functional magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation: How the combination of two methods allows new conclusions about the functioning of the brain

In the last two decades, the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) substantially contributed to the progress of human cognitive neuroscience. Because fMRI assesses neuronal activity indirectly, only limited causal statements about brain processes can be made. In the following, it is shown exemplarily by combining fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) how this limitation can be overcome. Thus, multimodal brain imaging methods offer new opportunities for the exploration of the human brain.