Therapeutic role of rTMS on recovery of dysphagia in patients with lateral medullary syndrome and brainstem infarction.
BACKGROUND
There is some evidence for a therapeutic effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on dysphagia in hemispheric stroke.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the effect of active or sham rTMS applied to the motor area of both hemispheres in patients with acute lateral medullary infarction (LMI) or other brainstem infarctions.


METHODS
The study included 22 patients with acute ischaemic stroke who had severe bulbar manifestation. 11 patients had LMI, and 11 had another brainstem infarction. They were randomly allocated to receive active (n=11) or sham (n=11) rTMS of the oesophageal motor cortex. Each patient received 300 rTMS pulses at 3 Hz and an intensity of 130% resting motor threshold to each hemisphere for five consecutive days. Clinical ratings of dysphagia and motor disability were assessed before and immediately after the last session, and then again after 1 and 2 months.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in baseline clinical assessment of swallowing between active and sham groups. Active rTMS improved dysphagia compared with sham rTMS in both groups of patients, (p=0.001 for both); the LMI group also improved the scores in the Barthel Index. All improvements were maintained over 2 months of follow-up (p=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that rTMS could be a useful adjuvant strategy in neurorehabilitation of dysphagia due to LMI or other brainstem infarction, although further assessment is necessary in multicentre clinical trials.
Khedr
Eman M
EM
Department of Neurology, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt. emankhedr99@yahoo.com
Abo-Elfetoh
Noha
N
D000368:Aged; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology; D003679:Deglutition; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D014854:Lateral Medullary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation