Ann Rehabil Med.  2016 Jun;40(3):373-382. 10.5535/arm.2016.40.3.373.

Factors Associated With Upper Extremity Functional Recovery Following Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Stroke Patients

• Kim SY
• Shin SB
• Lee SJ
• Kim TU
• Hyun JK

• KMID: 2327598
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2016.40.3.373

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the factors related to upper extremity functional improvement following inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in stroke patients.
METHODS
Forty-one stroke patients received low-frequency rTMS over the contralesional hemisphere according to a standard protocol, in addition to conventional physical and occupational therapy. The rTMS-treated patients were divided into two groups according to their responsiveness to rTMS measured by the self-care score of the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI): responded group (n=19) and non-responded group (n=22). Forty-one age-matched stroke patients who had not received rTMS served as controls. Neurological, cognitive and functional assessments were performed before rTMS and 4 weeks after rTMS treatment.
RESULTS
Among the rTMS-treated patients, the responded group was significantly younger than the non-responded group (51.6±10.5 years and 65.5±13.7 years, respectively; p=0.001). Four weeks after rTMS, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Brunnstrom recovery stage and upper extremity muscle power scores were significantly more improved in the responded group than in the control group. Besides the self-care score, the mobility score of the K-MBI was also more improved in the responded group than in the non-responded group or controls.
CONCLUSION
Age is the most obvious factor determining upper extremity functional responsiveness to low-frequency rTMS in stroke patients.

Keyword

Stroke; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Recovery of function; Age factors; Upper extremity

MeSH Terms

Age Factors
Humans
National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
Occupational Therapy
Recovery of Function
Self Care
Stroke*
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*
Upper Extremity*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Age distribution of controls and rTMS-treated stroke patients. rTMS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; NR, non-responding stroke patients; R, responding stroke patients.

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