Transcranial magnetic stimulation implementation on stroke prognosis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Stroke is a leading cause of disability, necessitating accurate prognosis for motor recovery.
• Predicting stroke outcomes is crucial for effective patient management and rehabilitation planning.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is explored as a biomarker for stroke prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on the utility of TMS in forecasting stroke survivors' motor recovery potential.
• To evaluate TMS as a prognostic tool for post-stroke functional outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed on MEDLINE and Scopus databases.
• Studies published between 1990 and 2021, in English, focusing on TMS for stroke prognosis were included.
• Thirty-nine relevant articles were identified and included in this review.

Main Results:

• Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recording via TMS is a strong indicator of favorable motor recovery.
• Absence of MEPs typically correlates with a poor prognosis for functional recovery after stroke.
• Other TMS parameters, like motor threshold and central motor conduction time, also show correlations with recovery rates.

Conclusions:

• TMS is a non-invasive, rapid, safe, and reproducible method for assessing stroke prognosis.
• MEP assessment using TMS can help resolve prognostic uncertainties in stroke patients.
• TMS provides valuable insights into the potential for motor recovery in stroke survivors.