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Table 1 Study inclusion and exclusion criteria

From: An investigation of cortical neuroplasticity following stroke in adults: is there evidence for a critical window for rehabilitation?

Inclusion criteria

Experienced a middle cerebral artery stroke with cortical involvement; either a first-ever stroke or at least 1 year after a stroke in non-motor regions

Medically stable

Confirmed diagnosis of stroke from CT/MRI imaging

Have mild/moderate hand weakness (defined in this study as being able to lift and hold a small object, but do not full strength according to Medical Research Council grades) [19]

Have recordable motor evoked potentials (>200 μV) to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in affected hand muscles

Exclusion criteria

Contraindications to TMS [20]

For example, history of other neurological disease, including epilepsy, cardiac pacemaker, metal implants in the skull. A complete TMS Safety Screening Questionnaire will be completed in accordance with international guidelines [20]

Severe receptive aphasia

Pre-morbid dementia

Inability to give informed consent