[Transcranial magnetic stimulation in the therapy of selected post-stroke cognitive deficits: aphasia and visuospatial hemineglect]

Abstract

Over the last several years functional neuroimaging studies and neurophysiological investigations have provided greater insight into the mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity and recovery after stroke. Various techniques became available for the non-invasive modulation of human brain activity and allowed better rehabilitation programmes to be designed. One of these new techniques is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). It is a painless brain stimulation technique that modulates cortical activity. Regularly repeated TMS delivered to a single scalp position (repetitive TMS, rTMS) has an effect on cortical excitability that lasts beyond the duration of the rTMS applications. The effects of rTMS on cortical excitability may be inhibitory or facilitatory depending on stimulation parameters. A growing number of studies consider rTMS as a potential therapeutic technique in neurological disorders. This method can be used as a complementary treatment to conventional therapy based on training of disturbed functions. In this review, we cite studies indicating that sessions of rTMS could improve some of the cognitive symptoms after stroke.