Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation in post-stroke rehabilitation: a brief review with a focus on motor recovery

Abstract

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation method that can modulate excitability of the human cortex. It had been assumed by different research groups that suppressing the undamaged contralesional motor cortex by repetitive low-frequency rTMS or increasing the excitability of the damaged hemisphere cortex by high-frequency rTMS will promote function recovery after stroke. Thus, repetitive TMS can be an adjuvant therapy for developed neurorehabilitation strategies for stroke patients. The purpose of this brief review was to provide an overview of the methods, physiologic basis and future views of the use of inhibitory and excitatory repetitive rTMS. Recent studies have reported that rTMS can effectively facilitate neural plasticity and induce motor recovery after stroke. The best rTMS patt ern has not been established, a stronger evidence behind the potential use of rTMS as clinical rehabilitative tool should be found.