Won-Seok Kim, Se Hee Jung, Min Kyun Oh, Yu Sun Min, Jong Youb Lim, Nam-Jong Paik
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-1802

Objective: To investigate the safety, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the cerebellum in ataxic patients with acute posterior circulation stroke.
Design: Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot study.
Patients: Thirty-two ataxic patients with posterior circulation stroke were randomized to real (n = 22) and sham (n = 10) rTMS groups.
Methods: Patients received 5 15-min sessions of 1 Hz cerebellar rTMS over 5 consecutive days. Compliance and adverse events for the rTMS sessions were checked. The 10-m walk test (10MWT) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were completed before rTMS, immediately and 1 month after the last rTMS session.
Results: Compliance with the rTMS was 100% and no adverse events were reported in either group. 10MWT and BBS of real rTMS group improved significantly (p < 0. 01). Percentage changes immediately after the last rTMS session for time and steps in the 10MWT and BBS in the real vs sham group were: –16. 7 ± 35. 1% vs –8. 4 ± 72. 5%, –8. 5 ± 23. 0% vs –0. 3 ± 28. 4% and 46. 4 ± 100. 2% vs 36. 6 ± 71. 6%, respectively.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 1 Hz rTMS over the cerebellum is safe, feasible and may have a beneficial effect in ataxic patients with posterior circulation stroke.