Rocco Cavaleri

Western Sydney University · Health Sciences

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that pain drives maladaptive corticomotor changes that may increase susceptibility to injury and promote symptom recurrence. However, few studies have evaluated the influence of inter-individual corticomotor responses to musculoskeletal pain. Existing research in this area has also been limited largely to th...

Theta burst stimulation (TBS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) is an emerging technique that may have utility in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. However, previous work exploring the analgesic effects of non-invasive brain stimulation has been limited largely to the arm or hand, despite 80% of acute musculoskeletal injuries occurring in the...

Objective: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation, is a novel avenue for the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Despite evidence for the effectiveness of rTMS in chronic pain conditions, the clinical uptake of rTMS remains limited and little is known regarding patient perceptions of th...

Background: Simulation-based learning is an important educational medium that is being implemented increasingly for the purpose of improved patient care and safety. However, there is evidence to suggest that simulation-based education (SBE) increases anxiety, illustrated through self-reporting and physiological responses. No studies have investigat...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of mouth rinsing and ingesting unpleasant salty or bitter solutions on cycling sprint performance and knee extensor force characteristics. Eleven male and one female trained cyclists (age: 34 ± 9 years, maximal oxygen uptake 56.9 ± 3.9 ml·kg ⁻¹ ·min ⁻¹ ) completed a ramp test and familiariz...

Purpose To explore the effect of tasting unpleasant salty or bitter solutions on lower limb corticomotor excitability and neuromuscular function. Methods Nine females and eleven males participated (age: 27 ± 7 years, BMI: 25.3 ± 4.0 kg m ⁻² ). Unpleasant salty (1 M) and bitter (2 mM quinine) solutions were compared to water, sweetened water, and n...

Introduction Concussion is a form of mild traumatic brain injury that disrupts brain function. Although symptoms are mostly transient, recovery can be delayed and result in persistent postconcussive symptoms (PPCS). Vestibular and oculomotor dysfunction are among the most debilitating impairments associated with PPCS. However, pharmacological inter...

The overarching aim of this thesis was to enhance our understanding of early corticomotor reorganisation in response to novel stimuli (motor skill training and acute pain). To achieve this aim, four primary studies (Chapters 2-5) were conducted and published. Study 1 (Chapter 2) explored the within- and between-session reliability of corticomotor o...

Background: Concussion is a form of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that disrupts brain function. Although symptoms are mostly transient, recovery can be delayed and result in post-concussive syndrome (PCS). Vestibular and oculomotor deficits are among the most debilitating impairments associated with PCS. Non-pharmacological interventions provi...

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation, represents a novel avenue for the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Despite evidence for the effectiveness of rTMS in chronic pain conditions, the clinical uptake of rTMS remains limited. One plausible reason for this discrepancy may...

Objective To synthesize and critically appraise literature exploring patient perceptions regarding the therapeutic use of noninvasive brain stimulation. Material and Methods A systematic search of CINHAL, PUBMED, Web of Science, and Medline was performed. Reference lists of relevant articles were also screened. Studies exploring participant percep...

In this chapter, students will explore the ways in which constructions of gender influence health outcomes throughout Australia. Students will analyse this impact through the lens of social determinants, reflecting upon activities that demonstrate how men and women experience health. A discussion of health policies and systems introduces students t...

This chapter discusses the movement away from ‘cultural competence’ towards the negotiation of ‘culturally safe’ practices and environments for engaging diverse communities. Firstly, the concept of cultural competency is introduced, and the strengths and limitations of this model discussed. Cultural safety is then presented as a model that extends...

This chapter will develop students’ understanding of Australia’s migration history. There will be a brief discussion of migration that occurred following the arrival of the first Europeans through to the mid-1970s, marking the end of the White Australia Policy. Australia’s contemporary migration history (including refugees and asylum seekers) will...

Objective Although acute pain has been shown to reduce corticomotor excitability, it remains unknown whether this response resolves over time or is related to symptom severity. Furthermore, acute pain research has relied upon data acquired from the cranial “hotspot,” which do not provide valuable information regarding reorganization, such as change...

Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) describes acute reductions in pain that occur following exercise. Current evidence suggests that the magnitude of EIH is small-to-moderate at best, warranting exploration of novel avenues to bolster these effects. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to relieve pain and represents a promis...

Acute musculoskeletal pain is associated with reductions in corticomotor output that persists even after pain resolves. Factors that contribute to corticomotor depression following acute pain are unknown. This study examined whether psychological factors, including pain catastrophising, kinesiophobia, and implicit theories of pain, were associated...

Introduction Accumulating evidence suggests that motor skill training is associated with structural and functional reorganization of the primary motor cortex. However, previous studies have focussed primarily upon the upper limb, and it is unclear whether comparable reorganization occurs following training of other regions, such as the lower back....

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) is increasingly being investigated as a means of alleviating chronic pain. However, rTMS interventions are typically initiated once pain has already become chronic and maladaptive patterns of neural activity are likely to have been established. A critical question...

Musculoskeletal pain is associated with altered motor control that despite short-term benefit, is hypothesised to have long-term consequences, contributing to the development of chronic pain. However, data on how motor control is altered when pain is sustained beyond a transient event are scarce. Here, we investigated motor adaptation, and its rela...

Introduction:. Joint position sense (JPS) is impaired in clinical musculoskeletal pain conditions, but when this impairment develops in the transition from initial to prolonged pain is not known. Objectives:. This study assessed whether progressively developing sustained experimentally induced muscle pain impacts JPS in healthy individuals. Methods...

Background There exists conflicting evidence regarding the impact of kinesiology tape on performance and muscle function. One variable that may account for disparities in the findings of previous studies is the colour of the tape applied. Colour is hypothesised to influence sporting performance through modulation of arousal and aggression. However,...

Background: Traditional transcranial magnetic stimulation mapping involves systematically delivering stimuli over a predefined grid. The pseudorandom walk method seeks to improve map acquisition times by abandoning the grid in favour of delivering stimuli randomly over a given area. Objectives: To i) determine the minimum interstimulus interval...

Critical appraisal skills are important for anyone wishing to make informed decisions or improve the quality of healthcare delivery. A good critical appraisal provides information regarding the believability and usefulness of a particular study. However, the appraisal process is often overlooked, and critically appraising quantitative research can...

Mechanisms that predict an individual’s susceptibility to pain, before pain is present or in the first few days following pain onset, are unknown. We utilised a clinically-relevant human transitional pain model (intramuscular injections of nerve growth factor) to examine brain mechanisms that predict pain susceptibility. Resting state EEG and corti...

Background Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive means by which to assess the structure and function of the central nervous system. Current practices involve the administration of multiple stimuli over target areas of a participant’s scalp. Decreasing the number of stimuli delivered during TMS assessments would improve time effi...

The delivery of five stimuli to each cranial site is recommended during transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) mapping. However, this time-consuming practice restricts the use of TMS mapping beyond the research environment. While reducing the number of stimuli administered to each cranial site may improve efficiency and decrease physiological dema...

Background: Physiotherapists play an integral role in the provision of health care to individuals who are overweight or obese. An understanding of weight stigma is therefore important in ensuring best practice. Despite these considerations, no previous systematic reviews have investigated weight stigma in physiotherapy. Objectives: To determine if...

Background: Continuing professional development (CPD) is a fundamental component of physiotherapy practice. Follow-up sessions provide opportunity for the refinement of skills developed during CPD workshops. However, it is necessary to identify if such opportunity translates to improved physiotherapist performance and patient outcomes. Objectives:...

Study design: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Introduction: Although corticosteroid injections are often cited as best practice in the treatment of de Quervain's disease, no reviews have compared their effectiveness to a multimodal definition of hand therapy. Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of corticosteroid injections with that of...

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a technique that can be used to assess corticospinal plasticity. Current TMS practices involve the administration of multiple stimuli over target areas of the participant's scalp. However, these procedures require 1 to 2 h per assessment. Decreasing the number of stimuli delivered during TMS assessments wo...