Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Gait Function and Strength Among Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Meta-Analysis

Authors

Yen-Ting Chen, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
Yu-Chi Su, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
Yu-Ching Lin, 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, TaiwanFollow

Abstract

Purpose: This meta-anaylysis investigated the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the context of spinal cord injury (SCI). The study focused on assessing its impact on muscle strength and gait speed, measured through the lower extremities motor score of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and 10-Meter Walk Test scores(10MWT). Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for articles published through Oct 2023. We enrolled only randomized controlled trials. The Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was used for quality assessment. Outcomes were analyzed as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included four studies with a total of 95 patients. Results: Our analysis revealed a significant increase in muscle strength of the lower limbs (SMD: 0.451; 95% CI: 0.041 to 0.862; I2 = 2.4%). The 10-Meter Walk Test scores did not significantly improve after management in the rTMS group (SMD: 0.050; 95% CI: −0.624 to 0.523; I2 = 25.7%) compared with the sham group, which can be attributed to the high heterogeneity and type 2 error. Conclusion: Due to limited data in the literature, our results neither support nor discourage the use of rTMS in treating patients with SCI. To explore the potential of rTMS, more research should be conducted to unveil the effectiveness of rTMS among individuals with SCI.

Recommended Citation

Chen, Yen-Ting; Su, Yu-Chi; and Lin, Yu-Ching (2023) "Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Gait Function and Strength Among Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Meta-Analysis," Rehabilitation Practice and Science: Vol. 2023: Iss. 2, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6315/3005-3846.2227
Available at: https://rps.researchcommons.org/journal/vol2023/iss2/10