TY  - JOUR
AU  - Pearce, Alan
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/09/27
TI  - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Tool for Quantifying Neurophysiological Changes in the Brain Following Concussion Injury in Sports
JO  - OBM Neurobiology
SP  - 042
VL  - 03
IS  - 03
AB  - (1) Background: Sport-related concussion is a growing public health concern. Defined as a functional injury, concussion is characterised by a constellation of signs and symptoms. However, clinical imaging methods do not reveal any structural damage. Recently, neurophysiological techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are being applied to quantify functional changes following concussion, both from an acute perspective, but also to investigate chronic changes associated with concussion injuries. The aim of this review paper is to present a state of art review on studies using TMS to assess concussion. 
(2) Methods: Systematic searching of relevant databases for peer-reviewed literature between 1985 to present day. A qualitative synthesis of studies attaining the inclusion criteria was conducted. 
(3) Results: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. TMS study checklist rated studies of moderate to high methodological quality. Nine studies reported short-term data following concussion, while 13 studies reported long-term changes in those with persistent symptoms or chronic changes with history of head trauma. Majority of studies reported alterations or abnormalities in intracortical inhibition.
(4) Conclusions:  This review demonstrates that TMS is a reliable and sophisticated technique to measure the neurophysiology of concussion. While further studies are required to establish effectiveness TMS as a clinical tool for mild brain injury, the potential of TMS to reliably quantify cortical activity offers exciting opportunities to provide objective measures for concussion diagnosis and prognosis.
SN  - 2573-4407
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1903042
DO  - 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1903042
ID  - Pearce2019
ER  -