[Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation as a method of early motor activity disorders rehabilitation after...

The objective of the present study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of navigated and non-navigated rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation rTMS in the patients presenting with post-stroke hemiparesis.

Group 1 consisted of 31 patients with post-stroke hemiparesis treated by navigated rTMS. Thirty comparable patients treated without navigation were included in Group 2. The patients were examined 3.2 +/- 1.1 month after stroke. Their mean age was 42 +/- 10.1 years. The average NIHSS score declined from 15.9 +/- 3.5 to 10.2 +/- 3.9 in Group 1 and from 15.8 +/- 3.0 to 13.1 +/- 3.4 in Group 2 (p=0.05). The Barthel index characterizing the degree of functional independence increased from 14.5 +/- 4.4 to 25.7 +/- 6.8 in Group 1 and from 14.3 +/- 4.2 to 18.1 +/- 5.9 in Group 2 (p=0.07). Navigated rTMS should be preferred as a method for locomotor rehabilitation after stroke.