Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over bilateral hemispheres enhances motor function and training effect of paretic hand in patients after stroke.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-0454Keywords:
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, motor training, stroke, neuronal plasticity, rehabilitation.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The interhemispheric competition model proposes that the functional recovery of motor deficits in patients after stroke can be achieved by increasing the excitability of the affected hemisphere or decreasing the excitability of the unaffected hemisphere. We investigated whether bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation might improve the paretic hand in patients after stroke. DESIGN: A double-blind study. PATIENTS: Thirty patients with chronic subcortical stroke. METHODS: The patients were randomly assigned to receive 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the unaffected hemisphere, 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the affected hemisphere, or bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation comprising both the 1 Hz and 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. All patients underwent motor training following repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. RESULTS: Bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation immediately improved acceleration in the paretic hand. Compared with 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation decreased the inhibitory function of the affected motor cortex and enhanced the effect of motor training on pinch force. Moreover, this effect of motor training lasted for one week. On the other hand, 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation had no effect on the motor function. CONCLUSION: Bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improved the motor training effect on the paretic hand of patients after stroke more than unilateral stimulation in pinch force; this might indicate a new neurorehabilitative strategy for stroke.Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
All digitalized JRM contents is available freely online. The Foundation for Rehabilitation Medicine owns the copyright for all material published until volume 40 (2008), as from volume 41 (2009) authors retain copyright to their work and as from volume 49 (2017) the journal has been published Open Access, under CC-BY-NC licences (unless otherwise specified). The CC-BY-NC licenses allow third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes, provided proper attribution to the original work.
From 2024, articles are published under the CC-BY licence. This license permits sharing, adapting, and using the material for any purpose, including commercial use, with the condition of providing full attribution to the original publication.