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Published on: September 23, 2018
Effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation on lower limb motor function in stroke patients: A systematic review
Hui Zhao1, Yue Zhou1, Yu Long1
1School of nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China.
Objective:
To systematically evaluate the effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation(iTBS) on lower limb motor function in stroke patients.
Methods:
Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and SinoMed from their inception to 23 November 2024. Two researchers independently screened the literature, assessed quality, and extracted data. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan5.4 and Stata16.0 software.
Results:
Thirteen studies involving 516 stroke patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with the control group, the iTBS group significantly improved lower limb motor function(FMA-LE) scores in stroke patients [MD= 2.31, 95 %CI= (0.78,3.84), P < 0.01], as well as lower limb balance function(BBS) [MD= 3.75, 95 %CI= (2.19,5.32), P < 0.01]. Subgroup analysis suggested that LE M1-iTBS intervention did not significantly improve FMA-LE scores and balance function. iTBS intervention improved patients' activities of daily living [SMD= 0.67, 95 %CI= (0.46,0.88), P < 0.01], and shortened central motor conduction time(CMCT) [SMD= -0.78, 95 %CI= (-1.10, -0.46), P < 0.01], but did not show significant improvement in MEP latency (P > 0.05).
Conclusion:
Existing research evidence indicates that iTBS is an effective treatment method for improving lower limb function in stroke patients, helping to enhance lower limb motor function, lower limb balance, and activities of daily living.
