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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1341707
This article is part of the Research Topic Neurorehabilitation In Neurotrauma: Treating Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries View all 9 articles

Is Non-invasive Neuromodulation a Viable Technique to Improve Neuroplasticity in Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury: A Review

Provisionally accepted
Michelle Eliason Michelle Eliason Prajakta P. Kalbande Prajakta P. Kalbande Ghazala T. Saleem Ghazala T. Saleem *
  • University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Abstract Objective: Explore and evaluate the efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as a standalone or coupled intervention and understand its mechanisms to produce positive alterations in neuroplasticity and behavioral outcomes after acquired brain injury (ABI). Data Sources: Cochrane Databases, Web of Science, Pub Med, and Google Scholar were searched from January 2013 to January 2024. Study Selection: TMS and tDCS randomized controlled trials, retrospective, pilot, open-label, and observational large group and single-participant case studies were included. Two authors reviewed articles according to pre-established inclusion criteria. Data Extraction: Data related to participant and intervention characteristics, mechanisms of change, methods, and outcomes were extracted, and the quality assessment was performed using SORT. Results: Twenty-two studies involving 657 participants diagnosed with ABIs were included. Two studies reported that NIBS was ineffective in producing positive alterations or behavioral outcomes. Twenty studies reported at least one, or a combination of, positively altered neuroplasticity and improved neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, motor, or somatic symptoms. Twenty-eight current articles between 2020-2024 have been studied to elucidate potential mechanisms of change related to NIBS and other mediating or confounding variables. Discussion: tDCS and TMS may be efficacious as standalone interventions or coupled with neurorehabilitation therapies to positively alter maladaptive brain physiology and improve behavioral symptomology resulting from ABI. Based on post-intervention and follow-up results, evidence suggests NIBS may offer a direct or mediatory contribution to improving behavioral outcomes post-ABI. Conclusion: More research is needed to better understand the extent of NIBS application in affecting changes in symptoms after ABI.

    Keywords: Transcranial electrical stimulation, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Brain Injuries, Cerebral stroke, neurological rehabilitation

    Received: 20 Nov 2023; Accepted: 22 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Eliason, Kalbande and Saleem. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ghazala T. Saleem, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14222, New York, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.