Intermittent theta burst stimulation modulates biceps brachii corticomotor excitability in individuals with tetraplegia.

Background: Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that can increase corticomotor excitability of hand muscles in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of iTBS on the corticomotor excitability of the biceps brachii in individuals with tetraplegia.

Methods: Ten individuals with low cervical SCI (C5-C8) and ten nonimpaired individuals completed three independent sessions.

The effect of intermittent theta burst stimulation on corticomotor excitability of the biceps brachii in nonimpaired individuals.

Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that can increase corticomotor excitability in distal upper limb muscles, but the effect on the more proximal biceps is unknown. The study objective was to determine the effect of iTBS on corticomotor excitability of the biceps brachii in non-impaired individuals. Ten individuals completed three sessions, and an additional ten individuals completed one session in a secondary study; each session included sham and active iTBS.