Article 1: Kantak, S.S., Stinear, J.W., Buch, E.R., & Cohen, L.G. (2012). Rewiring the Brain: Potential Role of the Premotor Cortex in Motor Control, Learning, and Recovery of Function Following Brain Injury. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 26(3), 282-292. doi: 10.1177/1545968311420845

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What is the role of the premotor cortex in motor control?
2. How does reorganization of the premotor cortex support recovery from brain damage?
3. What future studies might increase our understanding of brain plasticity?

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Article 2: Krusienski, D.J., & Shih, J.J. (2011). Control of a Visual Keyboard Using an Electrocorticographic Brain–Computer Interface. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 25(4), 323-331. doi: 10.1177/1545968310382425

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What would be the benefits of developing less-invasive brain-computer interfaces?
2. How did the researchers get subjects to use the visual keyboard?
3. Why was this study an important step forward from the work that has previously been done with brain-computer interfaces?

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Article 3: Kaski, D., Dominguez, R., Allum, J., Islam, A., & Bronstein, A. (2014). Combining physical training with transcranial direct current stimulation to improve gait in Parkinson’s disease: a pilot randomized controlled study. Clinical Rehabilitation, 28(11), 1115-1124. doi: 10.1177/0269215514534277

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What does it mean that the study was described as “double-blind” and how was the experiment designed to keep it double-blind?
2. What is transcranial direct current stimulation? What risks are involved in this procedure?
3. How many subjects were involved in this study? Was this a good number of patients?

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Article 4: Moseley, G.L., & Flor, H. (2012). Targeting Cortical Representations in the Treatment of Chronic Pain: A Review. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 26(6), 646-652. doi: 10.1177/1545968311433209

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What changes occur in the central nervous system of individuals experiencing chronic pain?
2. How is plasticity important for both the experience and treatment of chronic pain?
3. What possible treatments are there for chronic pain?