Background Burn injuries can have widespread effects on the body, including the nervous system. Although damage to the peripheral neural architecture contributes to burn-induced dysfunction, evidence also points to central nervous system changes following burn injury. The study aim was to characterise changes in the primary motor cortex (i.e., neuroplasticity) within the first three years following burn injury. Methods Neuroplasticity was assessed in 27 acute (~3 weeks after injury) and 26 persistent (1-3 years after injury) burn survivors and 26 healthy controls. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure motor cortex excitability and short- and long-acting motor cortex inhibition (or GABAergic inhibition) following a non-invasive brain stimulation protocol known to induce neuroplasticity. Results Motor cortex excitability did not change following the neuroplasticity protocol in burns survivors or controls, providing no evidence of neuroplasticity. GABAergic inhibition was reduced in persistent burn survivors compared to acute burn survivors, indicating the effects on motor cortex inhibition develop over time following burn injury. Conclusions Although neuroplasticity was not detected in burn survivors or controls using a non-invasive brain stimulation protocol, both short- (GABAA) and long-acting (GABAB) inhibition were reduced in persistent burn survivors compared to acute burn survivors. Future research should investigate whether the persistent reduction in motor cortex inhibition is associated with recovery of sensory and motor function following burn injury, which might provide the basis for the development of interventions aimed at normalising motor cortex inhibition during this phase of recovery.