Rapid acquisition of the transcranial magnetic stimulation stimulus response curve.

Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation is frequently used to construct stimulus response (SR) curves in studies of motor learning and rehabilitation. A drawback of the established method is the time required for data acquisition, which is frequently greater than a participant's ability to maintain attention. The technique is therefore difficult to use in the clinical setting.

Cortical excitability changes following grasping exercise augmented with electrical stimulation.

Rehabilitation with augmented electrical stimulation can enhance functional recovery after stroke, and cortical plasticity may play a role in this process. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three training paradigms on cortical excitability in healthy subjects. Cortical excitability was evaluated by analysing the input-output relationship between transcranial magnetic stimulation intensity and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the flexor muscles of the fingers.