Stroke is a major problem worldwide that impacts over 100 million adults and children annually. Rehabilitation
therapy is the current standard of care to restore functional impairments post-
stroke, however its effects are limited and many patients suffer persisting functional impairments and life-long disability. Noninvasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a potential rehabilitation treatment option in both adults and children with
brain injury. In the last decade,
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS),
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (
tDCS) and Transcutaneous Auricular
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) have been investigated to improve motor recovery in adults post-
stroke. These promising adult findings using NIBS, however, have yet to be widely translated to the area of pediatrics. The limited studies exploring NIBS in children have demonstrated safety, feasibility, and utility of stimulation-augmented rehabilitation. This chapter will describe the mechanism of NIBS
therapy (cortical excitability, neuroplasticity) that underlies its use in
stroke and motor function and how TMS,
tDCS, and taVNS are applied in adult
stroke treatment paradigms. We will then discuss the current state of NIBS in early pediatric
brain injury and will provide insight regarding practical considerations and future applications of NIBS in pediatrics to make this promising treatment option a viable
therapy in children.