Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as an adjunct to constraint-induced therapy

Objective: To test the potential adjuvant effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on motor learning in a group of stroke survivors undergoing constraint-induced therapy (CIT) for upper-limb hemiparesis. Design: This was a prospective randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, parallel group study. Nineteen individuals, one or more years poststroke, were randomized to either a rTMS + CIT (n = 9) or a sham rTMS + CIT (n = 10) group and participated in the 2-wk intervention. Results: Regardless of group assignment participants demonstrated, significant gains on the primary outcome measures: the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL)-Amount of Use, and on secondary outcome measures including the Box and Block Test (BBT) and the MAL-How Well. Participants receiving rTMS failed to show differential improvement on either primary outcome measure. Conclusions: Although this study provided further evidence that even relatively brief sessions of CIT can have a substantial effect, it provided no support for adjuvant use of rTMS.