[New therapeutic approaches in the treatment of neglect: transcranial magnetic stimulation]

Abstract

Aim: To highlight the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as therapeutic tool in rehabilitation of neglect.

Development: The therapeutic benefits of TMS in different neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, stroke or dementias, are increasingly evident. For many years clinical research has been conducted to develop new and effective rehabilitation strategies for neglect, being repetitive transcranial stimulation an important tool in this regard. The positive outcomes of treatment of neglect based on noninvasive brain stimulation have been demonstrated by several researchers. So, TMS should be, at least, considered as a therapeutic intervention adjuvant to conventional approaches.

Conclusions: Although the evidence for considering TMS as a new therapeutic tool is still scarce, as therapeutic applications of TMS are a subject of recent study, the findings so far are encouraging. Further research is essential to know the real TMS potential in the rehabilitation of neglect in particular, and of neurological diseases in general.