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.
Theodore
W H
WH
Clinical Epilepsy, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. theodorw@ninds.nih.gov
Hunter
K
K
Chen
R
R
Vega-Bermudez
F
F
Boroojerdi
B
B
Reeves-Tyer
P
P
Werhahn
K
K
Kelley
K R
KR
Cohen
L
L
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