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TITLE
The Use of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review

AUTHORS
Dionisio A; Duarte IC; Patricio M; Castelo-Branco M.

SOURCE
Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases. 27(1):1-31, 2018 Jan.

OBJECTIVES
Stroke is a leading cause of disability. Alternative and more effective techniques for stroke rehabilitation have been sought to overcome limitations of conventional therapies. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) arises as a promising tool in this context. This systematic review aims to provide a state of the art on the application of rTMS in stroke patients and to assess its effectiveness in clinical rehabilitation of motor function.

METHODS
Studies included in this review were identified by searching PubMed and ISI Web of Science. The search terms were (rTMS OR “”repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation””) AND (stroke OR “”cerebrovascular accident”” OR CVA) AND (rehab OR rehabilitation OR recover*). The retrieved records were assessed for eligibility and the most relevant features extracted to a summary table.

RESULTS
Seventy out of 691 records were deemed eligible, according to the selection criteria. The majority of the articles report rTMS showing potential in improving motor function, although some negative reports, all from randomized controlled trials, contradict this claim. Future studies are needed because there is a possibility that a bias for non-publication of negative results may be present.

CONCLUSION
rTMS has been shown to be a promising tool for stroke rehabilitation, in spite of the lack of standard operational procedures and harmonization. Efforts should be devoted to provide a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms and protocol standardization.

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