title: Kinesio-Taping Application and Corticospinal Excitability at the Ankle Joint.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physiotherapists and athletic trainers often use Kinesio Taping (KT) to prevent and treat musculoskeletal injuries in athletes, yet evidence about its effects on neuromuscular performance is conflicting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of a KT application directed at the ankle joint on measures of corticospinal excitability with transcranial magnetic stimulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve healthy young women (age = 23.1 ± 1.9 years; range, 19-26 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were tested under no-tape and KT conditions according to a random sequence order. The KT was applied to the skin overlying the dorsiflexor and plantar-flexor muscles of the ankle.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed changes in the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials elicited at rest and during movement and changes in the silent period and background muscle activity during movement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Taping conditions had no effect on motor-evoked potential amplitude at rest or during movement or on the silent-period duration and background muscle activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results concur with other recent reports, showing KT applications have little influence at the neuromuscular level. Alterations in sensory feedback ascribed to elastic taping are likely insufficient to modulate corticospinal excitability in a functionally meaningful manner.
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada.|Clinical Neuroscience laboratory, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D055052:Athletic Tape; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000293:injuries; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: evoked potentials; motor cortex; muscle contraction