• Shahid Bashir, Ilan Mizrahi, Kayleen Weaver, Felipe Fregni, and Alvaro Pascual-Leone.
• Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
• PM R. 2010 Dec 1;2(12 Suppl 2):S253-68.

AbstractDespite intensive efforts to improve outcomes after acquired brain injury, functional recovery is often limited. One reason for this limitation is the challenge in assessing and guiding plasticity after brain injury. In this context, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive tool of brain stimulation, could play a major role. TMS has been shown to be a reliable tool for measuring plastic changes in the motor cortex associated with interventions in the motor system, such as motor training and motor cortex stimulation. In addition, as illustrated by the experience in promoting recovery from stroke, TMS is a promising therapeutic tool to minimize motor, speech, cognitive, and mood deficits. In this review, we will focus on stroke to discuss how TMS can provide insights into the mechanisms of neurologic recovery and how it can be used for measurement and modulation of plasticity after an acquired brain insult.Copyright © 2010 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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