Article

The purpose of this article was to investigate the effects of
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on hand function recovery and
the plasticity of the cortex in stroke patients. DESIGN:
A search was conducted
in electronic databases for randomized controlled trials exploring the effects of
rTMS on hand motor function rehabilitation published from 1990 to January 30,
2012. The authors summarized the effect size on finger coordination, hand
function, cortical excitement, and activities of daily living by calculating the
standardized mean difference. Adverse effects were also discussed. RESULTS: Of
1668 articles identified, 8 articles (N = 273) were included in this study. The
summary effect size indicated positive effects of rTMS on finger motor ability
(standardized mean difference, 0.58) and hand function (standardized mean
difference, -0.82). However, this study showed that the changes of
neurophysiologic measurements were not significant in the included studies. Even
so, the trend of these changes was positive. Few adverse events were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: rTMS can improve patients' recovery after stroke. The authors
suggest that future trials can concentrate on the effects of rTMS for different
types of stroke patients in response to stimulation at different sites and
explore optimal rTMS parameters for individual treatment.

Langue : ANGLAIS