Table 1 Therapeutic effects of rTMS on drug-resistant epilepsy
From: Electromagnetic activity: a possible player in epilepsy
References | Sample size | Study design | Diagnosis | Therapy | Seizure control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shon et al. [47] | 4 | Prospective open-label trial | Multidrug-resistant focal epilepsy | Ten-day stimulation at a daily dose of 900 pulses of 0.5 Hz | Seizure reduction was observed in 3 patients |
Gersner et al.[48] | 1 | Case report | Drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy | Three courses of stimulation with daily dose of 1800 pulses of 1 Hz | Seizure frequency decreased by 50 - 70% |
Sun et al. [49] | 60 | Randomized, single-blind, controlled study | Refractory focal epilepsy | Two weeks of high-intensity (90% RMT) rTMS treatment | Seizures frequency and interictal dischargedecreased significantly compared with baseline |
Sun et al. [50] | 17 | Open-label trial | Not obtaining seizure-free after resection of epileptogenic region | Two weeks of treatment at a dose of 500 pulses of 0.5 Hz and 90% RMT | Seizure frequency decreased by 50% |
Santiago Rodriguez et al. [51] | 12 | Open-label trial | Focal neocortical epilepsy | Two weeks of rTMS with a dose of 900 pulses of 0.5 Hz (with intensity of 120% RMT) | Seizure frequency and interictal spikes decreased significantly |
Joo et al. [52] | 35 | Not mentioned | Focal seizure | Five consecutive rTMS with an intensity of 100% RMT | Interictal epileptogenic discharges decreased significantly while seizure frequency did not |
Fregni et al. [53] | 21 | Randomized, double-blind sham-controlled trial | Drug refractory epilepsy | Five consecutive treatment sessions of 1200 pulses of 1 Hz | Seizure frequency and epileptiform discharges reduced significantly |
Kinoshita et al. [54] | 7 | Not mentioned | Medically intractable extratemporal lobe epilepsy | A week of low-frequency rTMS at 0.9 Hz (with intensity of 90% RMT) | The frequency of all seizure types, complex partial seizures and simple partial seizures decreased significantly (19.1, 35.9 and 7.4%, respectively) |
Fregni et al. [55] | 8 | Not mentioned | Refractory epilepsy and malformations of cortical development | One session of low-frequency rTMS at a daily dose of 600 pulses of 0.5 Hz | Seizure frequency and epileptiform discharges decreased by 50% |