title: Reliability of single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation in the vastus lateralis muscle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an important tool to examine neurological pathologies, movement disorders, and central nervous system responses to exercise, fatigue, and training. The reliability has not been examined in a functional locomotor knee extensor muscle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within- (n = 10) and between-day (n = 16) reliability of single and paired-paired pulse TMS was examined from the active vastus lateralis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Motor evoked potential amplitude and cortical silent period duration showed good within- and between-day reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] ≥ 0.82). Short- and long-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI and LICI, respectively) demonstrated good within-day reliability (ICC ≥ 0.84). SICI had moderate to good between-day reliability (ICC ≥ 0.67), but LICI was not repeatable (ICC = 0.47). Intracortical facilitation showed moderate to good within-day reliability (ICC ≥ 0.73) but poor to moderate reliability between days (ICC ≥ 0.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TMS can reliably assess cortical function in a knee extensor muscle. This may be useful to examine neurological disorders that affect locomotion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, Oxon, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, Oxon, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martyn G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, Oxon, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Collett
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, Oxon, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Howells
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: intracortical facilitation; intracortical inhibition; knee extensors; motor cortex; transcranial magnetic stimulation