Inhibitory effect of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in the case of stroke: literature study

Background: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation with the capacity to modulate cortical excitability. Low-frequency TMS (1 Hz) inhibits regional brain activity and allows contralateral cortical excitability through modulation of interhemispheric inhibition. Until now, research on low-frequency TMS that shows its inhibition on regional brain and the possibility of contralateral cortical stimulation is still very limited and not widely known. The purpose of this study was to determine the inhibitory effect of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in post-stroke patients. Methods: Literature review was conducted to identify all articles that discuss the use of low-frequency TMS to determine the inhibitory effect of post-stroke patients on non-lesion areas. Databases from Hindawi, PubMed, Science Direct, and Cochrane with research types of pilot studies and randomized controlled trials published in the last 10 years by entering the keywords “Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation”, “Inhibition”, and “Stroke”. The research was conducted by systematically collecting, processing, and analyzing data. Results: Of the 505 articles identified, then selected according to the title there were 57 articles, obtained 10 articles that had abstracts according to the study. After that, the selection of articles according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria by reading the full article, there were 4 studies selected for review. 4 articles were included in this study showing motor improvement, increased functional ability, and cognitive improvement in post-stroke patients. Conclusion: TMS has beneficial effects on motor recovery in post-stroke patients with lasting effects.