Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Bilateral Assessment of the Corticospinal Pathways of the Ankle Muscles Using Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: February 19, 2019
Effects of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation on poststroke ankle spasticity: a double-blind randomized
Hüseyin Oğuzhan Aslantaş1, Şehim Kutlay1, Haydar Gök1
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkiye.
Background/Aim:
Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) is a noninvasive, painless therapy aimed at improving spasticity, with a proposed mechanism that involves neuromodulation through somatosensory and proprioceptive afferent stimulation. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of rPMS on ankle plantar flexor spasticity in participants with stroke.
Materials And Methods:
Included in this prospective, double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled study were 50 participants with poststroke ankle plantar flexor spasticity graded 1-3 according to Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Participants were randomized into rPMS (n = 25) and sham (n = 25) groups. All participated in a conventional rehabilitation program, while the rPMS group received 10 rPMS sessions over 2 weeks and the sham group received sham rPMS. Assessments at baseline, posttreatment (2nd week), and follow-up (4th week) included MAS, Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS), Barthel Index (stair/mobility), and electrophysiological H/M ratio.
Results:
A total of 46 participants completed the study. No adverse events related to the stimulation were reported. The rPMS group showed significant improvements in MAS score, MTS angle and grade, and Barthel Index, while no significant changes were observed in the sham group. A significantly greater proportion of participants in the rPMS group (40%) demonstrated MAS score reduction compared to the sham group (4.8%) (p = 0.004). Between-group analysis favored rPMS for MAS and MTS posttreatment and at follow-up. No significant changes in H/M ratios were observed within or between the groups.
Conclusion:
rPMS can be a valuable adjunct to a traditional rehabilitation program, potentially improving poststroke spasticity. The reductions recorded in MAS and MTS scores in the absence of electrophysiological changes suggest that rPMS may reduce the biomechanical rather than neural component of spasticity. There is a need to define optimal treatment protocols.
