Table 2.
rTMS application on dystonia.
| References | Sample | TMS Protocol | Anatomical localization | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siebner et al., 1999 | 16 WC | Single session rTMS at 1 Hz, placebo controlled | M1 | Single session yielded positive results as measured by pen pressure reductions and self-reported improvement |
| Lefaucheur et al., 2004 | 3 secondary dystonia | Prolonged sessions (5 consecutive days) rTMS at 1 Hz | Premotor | Prolonged session yielded positive results in movement rating scale and decrease in painful axial spams |
| Murase et al., 2005 | 9 WC | Single session (1 day) rTMS at 0.2 Hz | Premotor | Single session yielded positive results over premotor site, in decrease contraction and pen pressure |
| SMA | ||||
| M1 | ||||
| Tyvaert et al., 2006 | 8 WC | Single session (1 day) rTMS at 1 Hz | Premotor | Single session yielded positive results in handwriting velocity and decreased discomfort |
| Allam et al., 2007 | 1 cervical dyst./WC | Prolonged sessions (5 consecutive days) rTMS at 1 Hz | Premotor | Prolonged session yielded positive results in a single case study in cervical dystonia |
| Borich et al., 2009 | 6 FHD 9 HC |
Prolonged sessions (5 consecutive days) rTMS at 1 Hz | Premotor | Prolonged session rTMS yielded reduced cortical excitability and improved handwriting performance were observed and maintained at least 10 days |
| Havrankova et al., 2010 | 20 WC | Prolonged sessions (5 consecutive days) rTMS at 1 Hz | Somatosensory | Prolonged sessions yielded positive results in subjective and objective writing maintained for 3-week time period |
| Schneider et al., 2010 | 5 WC | Single session (1 day) rTMS train at 5 Hz fMRI pre vs. post rTMS | Somatosensory | Single session no effects in frequency discrimination task in patients linked to decrease in GPi |
| 5 HC | ||||
| Benninger et al., 2011 | 12 FHD (6 sham) | Prolonged sessions (3 in 1 week) Cathodal tDCS | M1 contralateral to FHD | Prolonged sessions of tDCS yielded no positive effects in clinical measures nor handwriting and cortical excitability |
| Kimberley et al., 2013 | 12 FHD | Prolonged session (5 days) at 1 Hz rTMS | Dorsal premotor | Prolonged sessions yielded beneficial effects in pen force at day 1 and 5 |
| Furuya et al., 2014 | 10 FHC (pianists) 10 HC |
Single session of tDCS (cathodal or anodal over affected or unaffected side) | M1 | Single session yielded rhythm sequence improvement using cathodal tDCS over affected cortex |
| Sadnicka et al., 2014 | 10 WC | Single session anodal tDCS (sham controlled) | Cerebellum | Single session tDCS revealed no positive effects in clinical measures |
| Koch et al., 2014 | 18 cervical dystonia | Prolonged sessions (2 weeks) cTBS | Bilateral cerebellum | Prolonged sessions yielded positive acute results (immediate effect after 2-week cTBS) in clinical scales |
| Bharath et al., 2015 | 19 WC 20 HC |
Single session (1 day) rTMS train at 1 Hz; fMRI pre vs. post | Premotor | Single session reduction in left cerebellum, thalamus, globus pallidus, putamen, bilateral supplementary motor area, medial prefrontal lobe |
WC, writer's cramp; HC, healthy controls; FHD, focal hand dystonia; ICD, Idiopathic cervical dystonia; CD, cerebellar dystonia; cTBS, continuous theta burst stimulation; rTMS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; tACS, transcranial alternating current stimulation; AMT, active motor threshold; tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation; M1, primary motor cortex; SMA, supplementary motor area.