Six-day course of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation plus occupational therapy for post-stroke patients with upper limb hemiparesis: a case series study

• Published in: Disability and rehabilitation Vol. 32; no. 10; p. 801
• Main Authors: Kakuda, Wataru, Abo, Masahiro, Kaito, Nobuyoshi, Ishikawa, Atsushi, Taguchi, Kensuke, Yokoi, Aki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 2010
• Subjects: Aged; Clinical Protocols; Combined Modality Therapy; Exercise Therapy; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Stretching Exercises; Occupational Therapy; Paresis - etiology; Paresis - rehabilitation; Paresis - therapy; Pilot Projects; Recovery of Function; Stroke - complications; Stroke - therapy; Stroke Rehabilitation; Task Performance and Analysis; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0963-8288
• DOI: 10.3109/09638280903295474

To clarify the safety and feasibility of a 6-day protocol of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with intensive occupational therapy (OT) for upper limb hemiparesis. In-hospital combination treatment was provided for 5 post-stroke patients with upper limb hemiparesis after more than 12 months of the onset of stroke. Over 6 consecutive days, each patient received 10 sessions of combination treatment with 1 Hz rTMS and intensive OT (one-on-one training and self-training). Motor function in the affected upper limb was evaluated by Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), Ten-Second Test at admission, discharge, and 4 weeks after treatment. All patients completed the 6-day treatment protocol and none showed any adverse effects throughout the treatment. At the end of treatment, improvements in the scores of FMA, WMFT, and Ten-Second Test were found in all patients. No deterioration of improved upper limb function was observed at 4 weeks after the treatment. Our proposed protocol of combination treatment seems to be safe and feasible for post-stroke patients with upper limb hemiparesis, although the efficacy of the protocol needs to be confirmed in a large number of patients.