Human Sensorimotor Plasticity Laboratory

The adult human brain is capable of reorganisation under a number of different situations. For example, during the learning of a new motor skill significant reorganisations of the sensorimotor cortical areas takes place. Also, following injury (such as stroke) reorganisations take place which form an important component of the recovery processes. We have a number of experimental techniques which can induce similar reorganisations in human subjects. These techniques include peripheral electrical stimulation and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The studies in this laboratory are aimed at (1) elucidating the mechanisms responsible for such reorganisations, (2) examining the functional significance of such induced reorganisations, (3) investigating the potential for induction of functionally beneficial reorganisations in patients with brain injury/disease.

2006 Laboratory Group