Effects of High-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial MagneticStimulation on Motor Functions in Patients withSubcortical Stroke

Background: Motor function impairment occurs in approximately two-thirdsof patients with subcortical stroke. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) is a noninvasive technique for modulating cortical excitability.Objectives: The present study was designed for assessing the efficacy of highfrequencyrTMS (5 Hz) on ipsilesional primary motor cortex in patients withsubcortical stroke.Materials and Methods: Thirty participants who had subcortical stroke in theprevious four weeks to four months were enrolled in this randomized doubleblinded clinical trial. Participants were divided into experimental and controlgroups and their motor ability of both upper and lower extremities wereassessed using Fugl-Meyer assessment of motor recovery after stroke (FMA)before and after intervention. The study intervention rTMS (5 Hz) wasadministered in six 10-minute sessions on the ipsilesional primary motor cortexin the experimental group and on the vertex in the control group.Results: Mean change in FMA score after rTMS sessions was significantlyhigher in the experimental group than in the control group (p = 0.00). Meantime interval between the stroke and rTMS intervention had a weak andinsignificant (ρ = 0.097; p = 0.61) correlation with changes of FMA score.Conclusions: High-frequency (5 Hz) rTMS effectively improved motorfunction in patients with subcortical stroke.

Keywords:

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation , Stroke