Exploring motor behavior through transcranial magnetic stimulation: a comprehensive tutorial from the neurobiomechanics and motor control perspectives

Marco A. C. Garcia; Ana L. Y. De Nadai; Victor H.ugo Moraes; Tiago S. Lopes; Thaís C. Marchetti; Lucas S. Betioli; Victor H. Souza

doi:10.20338/bjmb.v19i1.503

Exploring motor behavior through transcranial magnetic stimulation: a comprehensive tutorial from the neurobiomechanics and motor control perspectives

Authors

Marco A. C. Garcia Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação e Desempenho Físico-Funcional, Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil; Departamento de Biofísica e Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil - [email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8225-6573
Ana L. Y. De Nadai Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7169-3797
Victor H.ugo Moraes Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Laboratório de Neurociências e Reabilitação, Instituto de Neurologia Deolindo Couto, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5395-9061
Tiago S. Lopes Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8280-240X
Thaís C. Marchetti Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2061-0805
Lucas S. Betioli Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7282-9088
Victor H. Souza 6 Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science (AALTO), Espoo, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0254-4322

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20338/bjmb.v19i1.503

Keywords:

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, TMS, Cortical excitability, Motor mapping, Electromyography, Motor Evoked Potential

Abstract

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a well-established method for probing corticospinal and intracortical processes, yet its application in biomechanics and motor control research often lacks methodological integration. This tutorial synthesizes fundamental and advanced procedures for applying TMS within neurobiomechanical frameworks, highlighting how neurophysiological measures relate to motor behavior. We detail practical considerations for recording motor evoked potentials (MEPs) using surface electromyography (sEMG), including electrode montage selection, coil positioning, neuronavigation, and data-processing approaches. We also outline protocols for single- and paired-pulse TMS, motor mapping, and TMS-EEG integration, emphasizing how each technique interfaces with biomechanical variables, including posture, muscle length, and task demands. By integrating foundational concepts and practical guidelines on TMS applications to movement-related mechanisms, this tutorial provides a structured guide for designing, executing, and interpreting studies at the intersection of neurophysiology, biomechanics, and motor control.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Garcia, M. A. C., De Nadai, A. L. Y., Moraes, V. H., Lopes, T. S., Marchetti, T. C., Betioli, L. S., & Souza, V. H. (2025). Exploring motor behavior through transcranial magnetic stimulation: a comprehensive tutorial from the neurobiomechanics and motor control perspectives . Brazilian Journal of Motor Behavior, 19(1), e503. https://doi.org/10.20338/bjmb.v19i1.503

Download Citation

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Tutorials articles

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors must declare that the work submitted is their own and that copyright has not been breached in seeking its publication. If the manuscript includes work previously published elsewhere, it is the author(s) responsibility to obtain permission to use it and to indicate that such permission has been granted.

Authors retain the copyright of their paper and grant the Brazilian Journal of Motor Behavior (BJMB) the right to first publish the work under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license (CC BY-NC-ND). This license allows users to share the paper given the appropriate credit to the author and source and does not allow commercial uses and derivative materials to be produced.