title: Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on spike-and-wave discharges.
abstract: Aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of 5Hz-suprathreshold repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the duration of the spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) in a patient presenting idiopathic absence seizures. At the moment of the study the patient presented a mild blunting of consciousness due to the high frequency of absences and EEG recordings showed sub-continuous, generalized, symmetrical and synchronous 3c/s SWDs, petit mal status. Trains of 10 stimuli (120% resting motor threshold) were delivered at 5Hz frequency at the beginning of the SWDs. 5Hz-rTMS trains significantly changed the EEG activity by reducing the duration of SWDs without changing the intervals between two consecutive discharges. rTMS had not significant after-effects on the epileptic activity and patient's clinical status. Despite the limitations of a single case report, our neurophysiological findings suggest that 5Hz-suprathreshold rTMS delivered in short trains induces a transitory interference of the ongoing epileptic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gilio
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iacovelli
authors.forename: Chiara Marini
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bettolo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Bonaventura
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Frasca
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prencipe
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berardelli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inghilleri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation