Low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation for children with Tourette's syndrome

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the supplementary motor area (SMA) of children with Tourette's syndrome (TS). Methods Thirty TS subjects less than 16 years old were treated with 1 Hz rTMS to the SMA at 110％ of the resting motor threshold (RMT) in 20 daily sessions,receiving 1200 pulses/day.Clinical assessment and physiological measures of the left and right RMT were conducted at different time points during the treatment. Results After 4 weeks of treatment,statistically significant reductions were observed in assessments with the Yale global tic severity scale (YGTSS) and in terms of clinical global impression (CGI).Symptomatic improvement was correlated with dramatic increases in both right and left RMTs. Conclusion Application of 1 Hz rTMS to the SMA can improve the clinical symptoms of TS children. Key words: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; Tourette's syndrome; Supplementary motor area; Children