Transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of seizures: a controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a controlled trial of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).


METHODS
Twenty-four patients with localization-related epilepsy were randomized to blinded active or placebo stimulation. Weekly seizure frequency was compared for 8 weeks before and after 1 week of 1-Hz TMS for 15 minutes twice daily.


RESULTS
When the 8-week baseline and post-stimulation periods were compared, active patients had a mean seizure frequency reduction of 0.045 +/- 0.13 and sham-stimulated control subjects -0.004 +/- 0.20. Over 2 weeks, actively treated patients had a mean reduction in weekly seizure frequency of 0.16 +/- 0.18 and sham-stimulated control subjects 0.01 +/- 0.24. Neither difference was significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The effect of TMS on seizure frequency was mild and short lived.
Clinical Epilepsy, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. theodorw@ninds.nih.gov
W H
WH
Theodore
K
K
Hunter
R
R
Chen
F
F
Vega-Bermudez
B
B
Boroojerdi
P
P
Reeves-Tyer
K
K
Werhahn
K R
KR
Kelley
L
L
Cohen
D000328:Adult; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D016896:Treatment Outcome