Work

Theta burst stimulation to characterize changes in brain plasticity following mild traumatic brain injury: A proof-of-principle study

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: PURPOSE: Recent studies investigating the effects of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) suggest the presence of unbalanced excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms within primary motor cortex (M1). Whether these abnormalities are associated with impaired synaptic plasticity remains unknown. METHODS: The effects of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) on transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were assessed on average two weeks and six weeks following mTBI in five individuals. RESULTS: The procedure was well-tolerated by all participants. Continuous TBS failed to induce a significant reduction of MEP amplitudes two weeks after the injury, but response to cTBS normalized six weeks following injury, as a majority of patients became asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that cTBS can be used to assess M1 synaptic plasticity in subacute phase following mTBI and may provide insights into neurobiological substrates of symptoms and consequences of mTBI.

Source: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience

DOI: 10.3233/rnn-140459

Authors: Sara Tremblay, Marine Vernet, Shahid Bashir, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Hugo Théoret

Institutions: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Berenson Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation

Language: English

Topic: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies

Subfield: Neurology

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green