Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy Research Articles

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as an alternative therapy for dysphagia after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: A meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted to investigate the potential effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on dysphagia in patients with stroke, including different parameters of frequency and stimulation site. Methods: PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE databases and the Cochrane Library, were searched for randomized controlled studies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment of dysphagia published before March 2016. Results: Six clinical randomized controlled studies of a total of 163 stroke patients were included in this meta-analysis. A significant effect size of 1.24 was found for dysphagic outcome (mean effect size, 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.67–1.81). A subgroup analysis based on frequency showed that the clinical scores were significantly improved in dysphagic patients with low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment (P < 0.05) as well as high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment (P < 0.05). A stimulation site stratified subgroup analysis implied significant changes in stroke patients with dysphagia for the unaffected hemisphere (P < 0.05) and the bilateral hemisphere stimulation (P < 0.05), but not for the affected hemisphere (P > 0.05). The analysis of the follow-up data shows that patients in the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation groups still maintained the therapeutic benefit of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation four weeks after the last session of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has a positive effect on dysphagia after stroke. Compared with low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be more beneficial to the patients. This meta-analysis also supports that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on an unaffected – or bilateral – hemisphere has a significant therapeutic effect on dysphagia.

Volkow Speaks on NIDA Efforts to Combat Prescription Opioid Crisis

Similar to the rate of prescriptions made for opioid painkillers, deaths related to prescription opioids have quadrupled from 1999 to 2010, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brain stimulation and constraint for perinatal stroke hemiparesis: The PLASTIC CHAMPS Trial.

To determine whether the addition of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and/or constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) to intensive therapy increases motor function in children with perinatal stroke and hemiparesis. A factorial-design, blinded, randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov/NCT01189058) assessed rTMS and CIMT effects in hemiparetic children (aged 6-19 years) with MRI-confirmed perinatal stroke. All completed a 2-week, goal-directed, peer-supported motor learning camp randomized to daily rTMS, CIMT, both, or neither. Primary outcomes were the Assisting Hand Assessment and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure at baseline, and 1 week, 2 and 6 months postintervention. Outcome assessors were blinded to treatment. Interim safety analyses occurred after 12 and 24 participants. Intention-to-treat analysis examined treatment effects over time (linear mixed effects model). All 45 participants completed the trial. Addition of rTMS, CIMT, or both doubled the chances of clinically significant improvement. Assisting Hand Assessment gains at 6 months were additive and largest with rTMS + CIMT (β coefficient = 5.54 [2.57-8.51], p = 0.0004). The camp alone produced large improvements in Canadian Occupational Performance Measure scores, maximal at 6 months (Cohen d = 1.6, p = 0.002). Quality-of-life scores improved. Interventions were well tolerated and safe with no decrease in function of either hand. Hemiparetic children participating in intensive, psychosocial rehabilitation programs can achieve sustained functional gains. Addition of CIMT and rTMS increases the chances of improvement. This study provides Class II evidence that combined rTMS and CIMT enhance therapy-induced functional motor gains in children with stroke-induced hemiparetic cerebral palsy.

The Clinical TMS Society Consensus Review and Treatment Recommendations for TMS Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder.

Prefrontal Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy repeated daily over 4-6 weeks (20-30 sessions) is US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for treating Major Depressive Disorder in adults who have not responded to prior antidepressant medications. In 2011, leading TMS clinical providers and researchers created the Clinical TMS Society (cTMSs) (www.clinicaltmssociety.org, Greenwich, CT, USA), incorporated in 2013. This consensus review was written by cTMSs leaders, informed by membership polls, and approved by the governing board. It summarizes current evidence for the safety and efficacy of the use of TMS therapy for treating depression in routine clinical practice. Authors systematically reviewed the published TMS antidepressant therapy clinical trials. Studies were then assessed and graded on their strength of evidence using the Levels of Evidence framework published by the University of Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine. The authors then summarize essentials for using TMS therapy in routine clinical practice settings derived from discussions and polls of cTMSs members. Finally, each summary clinical recommendation is presented with the substantiating peer-reviewed, published evidence supporting that recommendation. When the current published clinical trial evidence was insufficient or incomplete, expert opinion was included when sufficient consensus was available from experienced clinician users among the membership of the cTMSs, who were polled at the Annual Meetings in 2014 and 2015. Daily left prefrontal TMS has substantial evidence of efficacy and safety for treating the acute phase of depression in patients who are treatment resistant or intolerant. Following the clinical recommendations in this document should result in continued safe and effective use of this exciting new treatment modality.

Combination Protocol of Low-Frequency rTMS and Intensive Occupational Therapy for Post-stroke Upper Limb Hemiparesis: a 6-year Experience of More Than 1700 Japanese Patients.

Several years ago, we proposed a combination protocol of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intensive occupational therapy (OT) for upper limb hemiparesis after stroke. Subsequently, the number of patients treated with the protocol has increased in Japan. We aimed to present the latest data on our proposed combination protocol for post-stroke upper limb hemiparesis as a result of a multi-institutional study. After confirming that a patient met the inclusion criteria for the protocol, they were scheduled to receive the 15-day inpatient protocol. In the protocol, two sessions of 20-min rTMS and 120-min occupational therapy were provided daily, except for Sundays and the days of admission/discharge. Motor function of the affected upper limb was evaluated by the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) and Wolf motor function test (WMFT) at admission/discharge and at 4weeks after discharge if possible. A total of 1725 post-stroke patients were studied (mean age at admission 61.4 ± 13.0years). The scheduled 15-day protocol was completed by all patients. At discharge, the increase in FMA score, shortening in performance time of WMFT, and increase in functional ability scale (FAS) score of WMFT were significant (FMA score 46.8 ± 12.2 to 50.9 ± 11.4 points, p < 0.001; performance time of WMFT 2.57 ± 1.32 to 2.21 ± 1.33, p < 0.001; FAS score of WMFT 47.4 ± 14. to 51.4 ± 14.3 points, p < 0.001). Our proposed combination protocol can be a potentially safe and useful therapeutic intervention for upper limb hemiparesis after stroke, although its efficacy should be confirmed in a randomized controlled study.

Effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on motor cortical excitability and sensory nerve conduction velocity in subacute-stage incomplete spinal cord injury patients.

[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to determine whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve sensory recovery of the lower extremities in subacute-stage spinal cord injury patients. [Subjects and Methods] This study was conducted on 20 subjects with diagnosed paraplegia due to spinal cord injury. These 20 subjects were allocated to an experimental group of 10 subjects that underwent active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation or to a control group of 10 subjects that underwent sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. The SCI patients in the experimental group underwent active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and conventional rehabilitation therapy, whereas the spinal cord injury patients in the control group underwent sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and conventional rehabilitation therapy. Participants in both groups received therapy five days per week for six-weeks. Latency, amplitude, and sensory nerve conduction velocity were assessed before and after the six week therapy period. [Results] A significant intergroup difference was observed for posttreatment velocity gains, but no significant intergroup difference was observed for amplitude or latency. [Conclusion] repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be improve sensory recovery of the lower extremities in subacute-stage spinal cord injury patients.

Expanding the Nurse Practitioner Role in Treatment Resistant Major Depression

Treatment resistant major depression (TRMD) is a common problem with significant consequences in terms of bio-psycho-social disability and economic impact for the individual, family and community. A 2014 survey of San Francisco bay area community resources confirms that nurse practitioners (NPs) are under represented in the advanced management of TRMD using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and ketamine infusion therapy (KIT). An expansion in the role of the NP in the management of TRMD is indicated. The purpose of this project was to develop and implement an education course that prepares a cohort of NPs to demonstrate mastery of advanced clinical techniques through direct provision of safe, tolerable and efficacious care to TRMD populations using ECT, TMS and KIT. Five NPs participated in a continuing education program that included four hours of didactic and twelve hours of bedside clinical continuing education in the advanced management of TRMD. Implementation of this quality improvement project resulted in a high level of satisfaction among NP participants and patient. Upon completion of the training, a considerable increase was evident in self-efficacy in the management of TRMD (95%), ketamine infusion therapy (90%), electroconvulsive therapy (85%), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (80%), relative to pre-training levels. In the 60- day follow-up period, all five NP participants directly managed an average of 8.6 patients with TRMD using advanced techniques.

Does a combined intervention program of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intensive occupational therapy affect cognitive function in patients with post-stroke upper limb hemiparesis?

Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) to the contralesional hemisphere and intensive occupational therapy (iOT) have been shown to contribute to a significant improvement in upper limb hemiparesis in patients with chronic stroke. However, the effect of the combined intervention program of LF-rTMS and iOT on cognitive function is unknown. We retrospectively investigated whether the combined treatment influence patient's Trail-Making Test part B (TMT-B) performance, which is a group of easy and inexpensive neuropsychological tests that evaluate several cognitive functions. Twenty-five patients received 11 sessions of LF-rTMS to the contralesional hemisphere and 2 sessions of iOT per day over 15 successive days. Patients with right- and left-sided hemiparesis demonstrated significant improvements in upper limb motor function following the combined intervention program. Only patients with right-sided hemiparesis exhibited improved TMT-B performance following the combined intervention program, and there was a significant negative correlation between Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale total score change and TMT-B performance. The results indicate the possibility that LF-rTMS to the contralesional hemisphere combined with iOT improves the upper limb motor function and cognitive function of patients with right-sided hemiparesis. However, further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanism of improved cognitive function.

Efficacy of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation [TMS] among Major Depressive Disorder Patients: A Review

The objective of the review is to ascertain the efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy among major depressive patients. The various research papers reviewed to know the magnitude of depression and the efficacy of TMS. Depression is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease and affects people in all communities across the world. India has the highest rate of major depression in the world. It is estimated that by the year 2020 the burden of depression will increase to 5.7% of the total burden of disease. It clearly depicts that the need for alternative and convenient treatment modality for depression as a whole. TMS proves to be one of the effective mode of treatment for depression. In terms of its convenience of treatment it's quite promising and lesser number and severity of side effects as compared to other mode of treatment. Currently, it's under practice in countries like Canada, UK, and Australia. In India it needs to be equipped in terms of training and education to the experts, very importantly creating awareness among patients and family about the treatment facility. TMS is hope for India and it necessitates rapid paradigm shift in order to curb the title of high prevalent country with regards to depression.

Symptômes négatifs de la schizophrénie : nouvelles approches pharmacologiques

The management of negative symptoms appears to be a major challenge because of functional disability induced by these symptoms and their relative resistance to treatments currently on the market. The aim of this article is to review new approaches that may enable optimal management of these symptoms. First, we describe the methodological difficulties that hindered the development and evaluation of specific treatment, and objectives currently defined to enable the development of new pharmacological approaches. Then we present the monotherapy and adjuvant therapies that have been assessed, including first and second generation antipsychotics, psychostimulants, antidepressants, cholinergic and glutamatergic agents, the oxytocin, hormones and more invasive therapies such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Other molecules are under development and evaluation such alpha-7 nicotinic receptor agonists.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation facilitates neurorehabilitation after pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability among children in the United States. Affected children will often suffer from emotional, cognitive and neurological impairments throughout life. In the controlled cortical impact (CCI) animal model of pediatric TBI (postnatal day 16–17) it was demonstrated that injury results in abnormal neuronal hypoactivity in the non-injured primary somatosensory cortex (S1). It materializes that reshaping the abnormal post-injury neuronal activity may provide a suitable strategy to augment rehabilitation. We tested whether high-frequency, non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) delivered twice a week over a four-week period can rescue the neuronal activity and improve the long-term functional neurophysiological and behavioral outcome in the pediatric CCI model. The results show that TBI rats subjected to TMS therapy showed significant increases in the evoked-fMRI cortical responses (189%), evoked synaptic activity (46%), evoked neuronal firing (200%) and increases expression of cellular markers of neuroplasticity in the non-injured S1 compared to TBI rats that did not receive therapy. Notably, these rats showed less hyperactivity in behavioral tests. These results implicate TMS as a promising approach for reversing the adverse neuronal mechanisms activated post-TBI. Importantly, this intervention could readily be translated to human studies.

Mechanisms and therapeutic applications of electromagnetic therapy in Parkinson's disease.

Electromagnetic therapy is a non-invasive and safe approach for the management of several pathological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative pathology caused by abnormal degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta in the midbrain resulting in damage to the basal ganglia. Electromagnetic therapy has been extensively used in the clinical setting in the form of transcranial magnetic stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy which can also be used in the domestic setting. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and therapeutic applications of electromagnetic therapy to alleviate motor and non-motor deficits that characterize Parkinson’s disease.

Review of 200 Patients (7,000 treatments) Clinical Outcomes of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)Therapy performed in a Naturalistic Clinical Setting using the Brainsway™ (H coil) and Neurostar™ Stimulators: A BioPsychoSocial Integrated Clinical Care Approach

Review of 200 Patients (7,000 treatments) Clinical Outcomes of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)Therapy performed in a Naturalistic Clinical Setting using the Brainsway™ (H coil) and Neurostar™ Stimulators: A BioPsychoSocial Integrated Clinical Care Approach

Cost-Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation versus Antidepressant Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression

BackgroundRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy is a clinically safe, noninvasive, nonsystemic treatment for major depressive disorder. ObjectiveWe evaluated the cost-effectiveness of rTMS versus pharmacotherapy for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder who have failed at least two adequate courses of antidepressant medications. MethodsA 3-year Markov microsimulation model with 2-monthly cycles was used to compare the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of rTMS and a mix of antidepressant medications (including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclics, noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors). The model synthesized data sourced from published literature, national cost reports, and expert opinions. Incremental cost-utility ratios were calculated, and uncertainty of the results was assessed using univariate and multivariate probabilistic sensitivity analyses. ResultsCompared with pharmacotherapy, rTMS is a dominant/cost-effective alternative for patients with treatment-resistant depressive disorder. The model predicted that QALYs gained with rTMS were higher than those gained with antidepressant medications (1.25 vs. 1.18 QALYs) while costs were slightly less (AU $31,003 vs. AU $31,190). In the Australian context, at the willingness-to-pay threshold of AU $50,000 per QALY gain, the probability that rTMS was cost-effective was 73%. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the superiority of rTMS in terms of value for money compared with antidepressant medications. ConclusionsAlthough both pharmacotherapy and rTMS are clinically effective treatments for major depressive disorder, rTMS is shown to outperform antidepressants in terms of cost-effectiveness for patients who have failed at least two adequate courses of antidepressant medications.

The effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on unilateral neglect of acute stroke patients: A randomised controlled trial.

Rehabilitation of the unilateral neglect of acute stroke patients represents a major challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on the functional recovery of stroke patients with unilateral neglect. Twenty patients with stroke were randomly assigned to two groups: a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation group (experimental) and a control group. The stroke patients in the experimental group underwent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy and comprehensive rehabilitation therapy. The stroke patients in the control group underwent sham magnetic stimulation therapy and comprehensive rehabilitation therapy. The patients in both groups received therapy 5 days per week for 4 weeks. The Motor Free Visual Perception Test (MVPT), Line Bisection Test (LBT), Albert Test (AT), and Star Cancellation Test (SCT) were assessed before and after the 4-week therapy period. The experimental group showed a significant increase in the MVPT, LBT, AT, and SCT values compared with the preintervention values (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the control group showed a significant increase in the MVPT, LBT, and AT results compared with the preintervention results (p < 0.05). A significant difference in the post-training gains for the MVPT (8.9 ± 2.5 vs. 4.8 ± 3.0), LBT (-19.3 ± 7.5 vs. -6.5 ± 9.5), AT (13.1 ± 8.0 vs. 4.0 ± 1.9), and SCT (-13.6 ± 6.9 vs. -4.5 ± 6.9) were observed between the experimental group and the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the effect size for gains in the experimental and control groups was very large in MVPT and AT (effect size = 3.25 and 2.90), respectively, and the effect size for gains in the experimental and control groups was small in LBT and SCT (effect size = 0.22 and 0.23, respectively). The current study findings indicated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be beneficial in decreasing the unilateral neglect of stroke patients.

PMD46 - Cost-utility of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation versus Antidepressant Therapy for treatment-resistant depression

PMD46 - Cost-utility of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation versus Antidepressant Therapy for treatment-resistant depression

Characteristics of bowl-shaped coils for transcranial magnetic stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has recently been used as a method for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Daily TMS sessions can provide continuous therapeutic effectiveness, and the installation of TMS systems at patients' homes has been proposed. A figure-eight coil, which is normally used for TMS therapy, induces a highly localized electric field; however, it is challenging to achieve accurate coil positioning above the targeted brain area using this coil. In this paper, a bowl-shaped coil for stimulating a localized but wider area of the brain is proposed. The coil's electromagnetic characteristics were analyzed using finite element methods, and the analysis showed that the bowl-shaped coil induced electric fields in a wider area of the brain model than a figure-eight coil. The expanded distribution of the electric field led to greater robustness of the coil to the coil-positioning error. To improve the efficiency of the coil, the relationship between individual coil design parameters and the resulting coil characteristics was numerically analyzed. It was concluded that lengthening the outer spherical radius and narrowing the width of the coil were effective methods for obtaining a more effective and more uniform distribution of the electric field.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy for autism: an international consensus conference held in conjunction with the international meeting for autism research on May 13th and 14th, 2014.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy for autism: an international consensus conference held in conjunction with the international meeting for autism research on May 13th and 14th, 2014.

Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and cognitive-behavioral therapy in treatment resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objective: A non-negligible percentage of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not respond satisfactorily to treatments. Inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has provided some relief in even refractory and chronic patients. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has also provided promising results. However, no studies have combined these two strategies. Methods: Eighteen patients with treatment resistant and chronic OCD who had been hospitalized in order to receive pharmacotherapy, inpatient CBT and rTMS were evaluated on the Yale-Brown Obsession and Compulsion Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS-17). rTMS was applied every day over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 5 days in a week with parameters of 25 Hz and 1000 pulses. Results: Y-BOCS scores decreased by 59.14%; from 30.72 ± 6.12 at admission to 12.55 ± 7.44 when discharged. HDRS-17 scores decreased by 56.80%; from 18.38 ± 3.94 at admission to 7.94 ± 5.70 at discharge. The mean numbers of rTMS and CBT sessions were 23.28 ± 6.78 and 17.17 ± 5.04 respectively. Discussion: The combination of pharmacotherapy, CBT and rTMS may be effective in treatment resistant and chronic OCD in the short term.

Non-invasive brain stimulation therapy in multiple sclerosis: a review of tDCS, rTMS and ECT results.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling neurological disorder presenting a variety of symptoms which are hard to control by actual drug regimens. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques have been investigated in the past years for the improvement of several neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Here, we review the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS, iTBS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in MS patients. Articles were searched in common literature databases. Crosslinks were reviewed. ECT was shown to be efficacious for the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders in 21 case reports. The results of tDCS and TMS for the treatment of depressive symptoms, fatigue, tactile sensory deficit, pain, motor performance, and spasticity were assessed in several studies and showed mixed results. Overall, data for the treatment of MS with NIBS is sparse regarding TMS and tDCS. Treatment of severe psychiatric disorders with ECT is only reported in single cases. More studies are needed to elucidate the potential role of NIBS in MS treatment.