Consensus: Motor cortex plasticity protocols
Abstract
Noninvasive transcranial stimulation is being increasingly used by clinicians and neuroscientists to alter deliberately the status of the human brain. Important applications are the induction of virtual lesions (for example, transient dysfunction) to identify the importance of the stimulated brain network for a certain sensorimotor or cognitive task, and the induction of changes in neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity or behavioral function outlasting the stimulation, for example, for therapeutic purposes. The aim of this article is to review critically the properties of the different currently used stimulation protocols, including a focus on their particular strengths and weaknesses, to facilitate their appropriate and conscientious application.
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Non-invasive brain stimulation entails modulation of brain excitability and activity and consists of different methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation.
“Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) entails the modulation of brain excitability and activity (Ziemann et al., 2008) and consists of different methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).”
From Efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation on cognitive functioning in brain disorders: a meta-analysis (2020) · cites this paper as Ziemann et al., 2008
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- Authors
- Ziemann, U., Paulus, W., Nitsche, M. A., Pascual-Leone, A., Byblow, W. D., Berardelli, A., Siebner, H. R., Classen, J., Cohen, L. G., & Rothwell, J. C.
- Affiliations
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Ziemann, Ulf
- ORCID
- Venue
- Brain Stimulation
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-07
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 164-182
- ISSN
- 1876-4754 (ISSN-L)
- 1935-861X
- OpenAlex
- W2063841517
- Cited by
- 639
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 47 · 2012: 29
- FWCI
- 18.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain stimulation (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Traumatic Brain Injury Research
- Keywords
- transcranial magnetic stimulation, motor cortex, cortical plasticity, stimulation protocols, virtual lesion, neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity, motor recovery
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Behavior, Electric Stimulation, Humans, Motor Cortex, Neuronal Plasticity, Peripheral Nerves, Long-Term Potentiation, Evoked Potentials, Motor, Consensus, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
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