SynthesisBrain and behavior2025
Corticomotor Responses to Experimental, Acute, and Chronic Lower Limb Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Corticomotor Responses to Experimental, Acute, and Chronic Lower Limb Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Brain and behavior · 2025Pooled it
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCorticomotor adaptations are believed to contribute to persistent pain. However, prior reviews have lacked sufficient data to adequately explore these adaptations in lower limb pain. This restricts the generalizability of existing research given the distinct functional and neurophysiological differences between upper and lower limb musculature. This research gap has prompted increasing exploration of corticomotor adaptations in response to lower limb pain. Accordingly, this systematic review aimed to synthesize literature investigating corticomotor changes in response to experimental, acute clinical, and chronic lower limb pain.
methodsA comprehensive search of CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) outcomes were separated into single-site assessments of corticomotor excitability over the motor cortical hotspot, assessments of inhibitory/facilitatory mechanisms, and corticomotor organization (mapping) outcomes. Critical appraisals were performed using the Downs and Black checklist and the TMS methodological checklist. Meta-analyses employed random effects models.
resultsAnalyses of 18 studies found no consistent effects of lower limb pain on motor evoked potentials. However, motor threshold data indicated that corticomotor responses may vary by region and diagnosis. Results from TMS mapping studies revealed consistent shifts in CoG for representations of painful lower limb muscles, as well as increased overlap of adjacent representations. Map volume findings differed between experimental and clinical pain, suggesting temporal variation in adaptations.
conclusionThis review highlights emerging evidence that corticomotor adaptations to lower limb pain are dynamic and region-specific. These findings lay the groundwork for future research into pain-related motor system plasticity.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.