Spinal excitability is enhanced by transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex in children and adolescents.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate the modulation of spinal excitability to sub-motor threshold transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy children and adolescents.

Methods

We paired sub-motor threshold TMS (conditioning) with electrical tibial nerve stimulation (test) to assess changes in the soleus H-reflex at eleven conditioning-test (C-T) intervals. Eleven participants (7.5-16.2 years) were studied under three conditions: rest, voluntary agonist activation (ankle plantar flexion), and voluntary antagonist activation (ankle dorsiflexion).

Results

TMS-induced supraspinal volley facilitated the soleus H-reflex amplitude significantly during rest and agonist activation, but not during antagonist activation. The facilitation of H-reflex was similar during rest and agonis

SUBMITTER: Marttinen Rossi EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12281449 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature