Table 4. Main findings of the TMS studies.
| Reference | Sample | N | Stimulation | Site | Arrangement | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khedr et al., 2005 [35] | TN PSP |
24 25 |
rTMS Active (n = 14) or sham (n = 10) Figure-of-8 coil Painful side |
M1 | Parallel-group 20 Hz, 80% RMT 2000 pulses/session, Trains of 10s: 200 pulses /1min intertrain interval 5 sessions |
Pain (VAS) reduced by 45% in the active group at the 5th session and maintained by 40% after 15 days of treatment. On the other hand, sham group declined 5% and 2%, respectively. There was a significant treatment x time interaction suggesting that real and sham rTMS promoted different effects on the VAS and LANSS scales. This difference remained for two weeks after the end of the treatment. |
| Galhardoni et al., 2014 [30] | AFP | 33 | rTMS Active (n = 15) or sham (n = 14) Figure-of-8 coils contralateral |
M1 | Parallel-group 10 Hz, 80% RMT 3000 pulses/session Trains of 20s: 100 pulses/ 20s intertrain interval. 13 sessions |
Pain (VAS) and Quality of Life improved. Nevertheless, without significant difference between active and control groups. |
| Lindholm et al., 2015 [34] and Lindholm et al., 2016 [33] | TN AFP BMS |
7 4 5 |
rTMS Active or sham Figure-of-8 coils S2: right side M1/S1: contralateral |
M1/S1 (1) or S2 (2) | Cross-over 10 Hz, 90% RMT 1000 pulses/session Trains: 50 pulses/ 10s intertrain interval 3 sessions |
Pain intensity (NRS) was lowest on the third day in the S2 TMS group. In addition, it was significantly lower in the S2 group compared to S1/M1 or sham groups. Quality of life showed a mild improvement. However, without significant difference. TMS had no effect on sleep, mood or depressive symptoms. |
| Umezaki et al., 2015 [48] | BMS | 26 | rTMS Active (n = 14) or sham (n = 12) Figure-of-8 coils Left side |
DLPFC | Parallel-group 10 Hz, 110% RMT 30000 pulses/session Trains of 5s:10s intertrain interval 10 sessions (15 min) |
Pain (VAS and SF-MPQ) were significantly different when comparing active and sham groups on the days 15 and 6. The results of PHQ9 suggested an overall improvement in both groups, without difference between groups. |