[Therapeutic potential of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in brain disorders]

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive means of electrically stimulating neurons in the human cerebral cortex, is able to modify neuronal activity locally and at distant sites when delivered in series or trains of pulses (repetitive TMS). Research into clinical applications for TMS is very active and has the potential to provide useful data, but, to date, the results of blinded, sham-controlled trials do not provide clear evidence of beneficial effects that replace or even match the effectiveness of conventional treatments in any disorder. In this review, we discuss the clinical and scientific bases for the therapeutic use of TMS, and review the results of trials in psychiatric and neurological disorders to date.