TMS in cognitive plasticity and the potential for rehabilitation

Cognitive neuroscientists use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in several ways, from aiming to increase understanding of brain–behavior relationships to transiently improving performance, both in normals and in patients with neurological and neuropsychological deficits. Different types of TMS (single-pulse, paired-pulse, repetitive) are able to interfere with higher brain functions that require the cooperation of different brain areas and complex neuronal networks. Currently, behavioral TMS effects on the brain are usually short-lived and their underlying mechanisms not yet wholly understood. However, the aim of using TMS to develop rehabilitative strategies for motor, perceptive and cognitive functions represents an intriguing challenge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]