From Biomarkers to therapy: Advancing precision neuromodulation in motor neurorehabilitation

Motor impairments arising from neurological conditions, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease, are often debilitating and challenging to treat with one-size-fits-all rehabilitation strategies that often offer limited personalization. Recently, neurophysiological approaches, especially those that investigate and modulate specific neural circuits, have gained significant momentum as both diagnostic and therapeutic tools in neurorehabilitation. These methods enable the identification of objective markers for patient stratification, prognosis, and treatment planning. At the core of this evolution is the expanding use of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). These tools allow targeted modulation of motor-related cortical and subcortical circuits. Research is increasingly leveraging these approaches in tandem with quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG), functional connectivity analysis, and advanced imaging to understand how motor circuits reorganize and recover post-injury.

Of particular interest are the mechanisms by which neural circuits adapt during motor learning and rehabilitation. Techniques like Paired Associative Stimulation (PAS) and TMS-EEG provide circuit-level insights into synaptic plasticity and cortical excitability, offering windows into the rules by which these circuits operate and adapt. Emerging biomarkers, such as qEEG-derived indices, can help characterize the functional integrity of motor networks and predict patient-specific recovery trajectories. These strategies exemplify a systems neuroscience approach, linking structure to function within the motor circuit to drive evidence-based, mechanism-oriented therapies. This paves the way for precision neuromodulation strategies that tailor NIBS protocols to each patient’s physiological profile, enabling the design of targeted interventions grounded in neurophysiological evidence and fostering more effective, personalized therapeutic approaches.

Despite this progress, substantial knowledge gaps remain. The neurophysiological underpinnings governing motor circuit plasticity in recovery are not fully delineated, and robust, scalable biomarkers for individualized prognosis and treatment response are still under development. Moreover, standardized or optimal protocols for integrating assessment and modulation techniques have yet to be established. Addressing these gaps will be crucial for transforming neural circuit insights into real-world therapeutic applications. making interventions more efficient, adaptive, and scalable.

This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of the structural and functional architecture of motor-related neural circuits in health and disease and to explore how these circuits can be assessed and modulated to enhance motor recovery.

Specifically, we seek contributions that bridge mechanistic insights in circuit function with translational strategies for neuromodulation and rehabilitation.

Our short-term objectives include identifying circuit-based biomarkers of motor network dysfunction, enhancing the precision of assessment protocols, and evaluating the effectiveness of neuromodulatory protocols tailored to circuit physiology. In the long term, we aspire to contribute to the development of mechanism-based rehabilitation approaches that apply principles of motor learning and synaptic plasticity into clinical practice.

This Research Topic aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue across the fields of systems neuroscience, clinical neurophysiology, motor rehabilitation, and computational modeling. We encourage Original Research, Reviews, Methods, Clinical Trials, and Perspective articles that explore:

• Neural circuit mechanisms underlying motor impairments and recovery across neurological disorders
• Development and validation of circuit-level biomarkers using qEEG, TMS, or multimodal techniques for motor network integrity and functional prognosis in neurological conditions
• Functional mapping and modulation of sensorimotor circuits through NIBS, TMS-EEG, or neuroimaging
• Circuit plasticity during motor learning and its application to individualized rehabilitation
• Evolutionary or developmental perspectives on motor circuit reorganization
• Innovative applications of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) for modulating sensorimotor networks in healthy and clinical populations
• Translational studies linking motor learning models in healthy subjects to patient-tailored interventions in neurological diseases
• Novel methodological frameworks and protocols for precision neuromodulation and rehabilitation
• Computational and theoretical models integrating neurophysiological findings into network-level rehabilitation strategies

By integrating multidisciplinary approaches, this Topic aims to catalyze research at the intersection of neural circuit science and neurorehabilitation, ultimately enabling precision interventions that are scalable, adaptable, and grounded in neurophysiological evidence.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: NIBS, TMS, tACS, tDCS, qEEG, motor learning, motor rehabilitation, motor-related neural circuits

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.