Kirton, AdamHollis, Asha2019-05-312019-05-312019-05-30Hollis, A. (2019). The PSTIM Trial: Pediatric Transcranial Static Magnetic Field Stimulation to Improve Motor Learning (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/110452Non-invasive neuromodulation is an emerging therapy for children with early brain injury but is difficult to apply to preschoolers where windows of developmental plasticity are optimal. Transcranial static magnetic field stimulation (tSMS) decreases motor cortex excitability in adults but effects on the developing brain are unstudied. We aimed to determine the effects of tSMS on primary motor cortex (M1) excitability and motor learning in healthy children. Our randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded, 3-arm, cross-over interventional trial enrolled 24 typically developing school-aged children. We used a linear mixed effects model to examine intervention effects over time. Our results demonstrated that tSMS modulates motor learning. Contralateral (right) tSMS inhibited early motor learning in the trained hand (p<0.01) while ipsilateral (left) tSMS facilitated later stages of motor learning (p<0.01). We did not observe changes in cortical excitability as assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) generated motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes and intracortical neurophysiology paradigms. We demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and favourable tolerability of tSMS in a pediatric population. We conclude that tSMS over motor cortex can modulate motor learning in children with effects specific to both the hemisphere of stimulation and stage of learning. Our findings suggest therapeutic potential for tSMS neuromodulation in young children with cerebral palsy (CP).engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.non-invasive brain stimulationmotor learningpediatricstranscranial static magnetic field stimulationneurophysiologyneuromodulationNeurosciencemaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/36611