Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for patients with functional paralysis: a randomized controlled study

• DOI: 10.1111/ene.15264
• Publication Date: 2022-01-31T08:50:28Z
• Authors: Nathalie Chastan; Olivier Etard; Dominique Parain; Priscille Gerardin; Gaël Fouldrin; Philippe Derambure; Céline Tard; André Gillibert; Clément Nathou; Arnaud Delval; Marie‐Laure Welter; Olivier Guillin
• Keywords: Cephalalgia

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed to treat functional neurological disorders. Here, the aim was assess efficacy of rTMS paralysis in a controlled randomized trial.Patients received two sessions active or sham 0.25 Hz (60 stimuli each), with 1-day interval, applied over motor cortex contralateral paralysis. The primary outcome number patients an increase score between baseline and after second session, rated by investigators blinded treatment allocation. Secondary outcomes were changes global fine scores groups rTMS, occurrence adverse events.Sixty-two (46 female; mean [SD] age, 35.2 [13.9] years) enrolled randomized. Thirteen out 32 (41%) 11/30 (37%) had increased strength respectively (p = 0.80). Changes both relative also not significantly different (median difference 0.62 [0.83] 0.37 [0.61], 0.12 [0.18] 0.08 [0.11], groups, respectively; p 0.14). Six serious events, consisting three cephalalgia group one asthenia group, observed.Two low frequency effective improve paralysis, suggesting placebo effect this non-invasive brain technique.