BACKGROUND

Stroke is a significant health concern globally, and dysphagia has been a very common complication. Early intervention for managing dysphagia is challenging with a lack of universally accepted treatment protocols. Noninvasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is emerging as a treatment option for stroke dysphagia. However, there is no standardized rTMS treatment protocol for it, leading to challenges in clinical decision-making.

To determine available rTMS protocols for unilateral hemispheric stroke dysphagia.

A scoping review using PubMed, ProQuest, and EBSCOHost databases was conducted using the keywords “dysphagia,” “stroke,” “repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,” “conventional therapy,” and “swallowing examination.” Eligible studies published from inception to April 2020 were appraised using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and analyzed qualitatively.

Out of 42 articles, five randomized controlled trials met the eligibility criteria. A total of 108 patients with stroke and oropharyngeal dysphagia were randomized into one of the following treatment groups: (1) rTMS (unilateral or bilateral); (2) conventional dysphagia therapy (CDT); and (3) combined intervention (CI) of rTMS and CDT. The CI gave significant improvements in swallowing function and quality of life compared to CDT alone. The bilateral rTMS protocol resulted in more significant improvements than unilateral rTMS.

There are various and heterogeneous treatment protocols involving neuromodulation available for stroke dysphagia. The combination of bilateral excitatory-inhibitory rTMS and CDT seems to result in an optimal outcome for swallowing function among patients with unilateral hemispheric stroke dysphagia.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint magnetotherapy as an adjunctive treatment for mild to moderate hypertension with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with mild to moderate hypertension of yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity were randomly divided into a magnetotherapy group (33 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a non-magnetotherapy group (33 cases, 4 cases dropped out). Both groups were given antihypertensive drugs based on their clinical conditions. The magnetotherapy group and the non-magnetotherapy group wore surface magnetic therapy bands with or without magnetic poles, respectively, at unilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Waiguan (TE5). Intervention was administered once daily, 8 h each time, for a continuous period of 4 weeks. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome score, Du's hypertension quality of life (QOL) scale score, office blood pressure, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure were assessed before and after the intervention, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, both groups showed reductions in TCM syndrome scores, office systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared with those before intervention (P<0.001), and their Du's QOL scores increased (P<0.001). The magnetotherapy group had lower TCM syndrome score and office SBP and DBP than those in the non-magnetotherapy group (P<0.001), while Du's QOL score was higher (P<0.001). After the intervention, all 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure indexes in the magnetotherapy group were reduced compared with those before intervention (P<0.05); in the non-magnetotherapy group, 24-hour average diastolic blood pressure (24hDBP), nighttime average systolic blood pressure (nSBP), and nighttime average diastolic blood pressure (nDBP) were reduced (P<0.05). The 24-hour average systolic blood pressure (24hSBP), 24hDBP, daytime average systolic blood pressure (dSBP), daytime average diastolic blood pressure (dDBP), and nSBP after intervention in the magnetotherapy group were lower than those in the non-magnetotherapy group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the magnetotherapy group was 93.3% (28/30), which was higher than 75.9% (22/29) in the non-magnetotherapy group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupoint magnetotherapy as an adjunctive treatment for mild to moderate hypertension with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity could effectively alleviate clinical symptoms and TCM syndromes, improve quality of life, and reduce blood pressure level.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Adult ; Yin Deficiency/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Magnetic Field Therapy ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a rapid and effective therapy for major depressive disorder; however, there is significant variability in therapeutic outcomes both within and across individuals, with approximately 50% of patients showing no response to rTMS treatment. Many studies have personalized the stimulation parameters of rTMS (e.g., location and intensity of stimulation) according to the anatomical and functional structure of the brain. In addition to these parameters, the internal states of the individual, such as circadian rhythm, behavior/cognition, neural oscillation, and neuroplasticity, also contribute to the variation in rTMS effects. In this review, we summarize the current literature on the interaction between rTMS and internal states. We propose two possible methods, multimodal treatment, and adaptive closed-loop treatment, to integrate patients' internal states to achieve better rTMS treatment for depression.
Humans ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods* ; Depressive Disorder, Major/physiopathology* ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology* ; Brain/physiopathology*

While multiple step saccades (MSS) are occasionally reported in the healthy population, they are more evident in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, MSS has been suggested as a biological marker for the diagnosis of PD. However, the lack of clarity on the neural mechanism underlying the generation of MSS largely impedes their application in the clinic. We have proposed recently that MSS are triggered by the discrepancy between desired and executed saccades. Accordingly, brain regions involved in saccadic planning and execution might play a role in the generation of MSS. To test this hypothesis, we explored the role of the prefrontal (PFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in generating MSS by conducting two experiments: electroencephalographic recording and single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation in the PFC or PPC of humans while participants were performing a gap saccade task. We found that the PFC and PPC are involved in the generation of MSS.
Humans ; Parietal Lobe/physiology* ; Saccades/physiology* ; Prefrontal Cortex/physiology* ; Male ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Female ; Electroencephalography ; Adult ; Young Adult

Attempts have been made to modulate motor sequence learning (MSL) through repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, targeting different sites within the sensorimotor network. However, the target with the optimum modulatory effect on neural plasticity associated with MSL remains unclarified. This study was therefore designed to compare the role of the left primary motor cortex and the left supplementary motor area proper (SMAp) in modulating MSL across different complexity levels and for both hands, as well as the associated neuroplasticity by applying intermittent theta burst stimulation together with the electroencephalogram and concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation. Our data demonstrated the role of SMAp stimulation in modulating neural communication to support MSL, which is achieved by facilitating regional activation and orchestrating neural coupling across distributed brain regions, particularly in interhemispheric connections. These findings may have important clinical implications, particularly for motor rehabilitation in populations such as post-stroke patients.
Humans ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Motor Cortex/physiology* ; Male ; Electroencephalography ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology* ; Female ; Adult ; Evoked Potentials, Motor/physiology* ; Young Adult ; Learning/physiology*

Episodic memory, our ability to recall past experiences, is supported by structures in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) particularly the hippocampus, and its interactions with fronto-parietal brain regions. Understanding how these brain regions coordinate to encode, consolidate, and retrieve episodic memories remains a fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methods, especially transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), have advanced episodic memory research beyond traditional lesion studies and neuroimaging by enabling causal investigations through targeted magnetic stimulation to specific brain regions. This review begins by delineating the evolving understanding of episodic memory from both psychological and neurobiological perspectives and discusses the brain networks supporting episodic memory processes. Then, we review studies that employed TMS to modulate episodic memory, with the aim of identifying potential cortical regions that could be used as stimulation sites to modulate episodic memory networks. We conclude with the implications and prospects of using NIBS to understand episodic memory mechanisms.
Humans ; Memory, Episodic ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods* ; Brain/physiology* ; Nerve Net/physiology* ; Mental Recall/physiology* ; Neural Pathways/physiology*

Magnetic stimulation has made significant strides in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Nonetheless, current magnetic stimulation techniques lack the precision to accurately modulate specific nuclei and cannot realize deep brain magnetic stimulation. To address this, we utilized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as mediators to achieve precise targeting and penetration. We investigated the effects of magnetic fields with varying frequencies on neuronal activity and compared the activation effects on neurons using a 10-Hz precise magneto-stimulation system (pMSS) with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in mice. Oxytocin levels, dendritic morphology and density, and mouse behavior were measured before and after pMSS intervention. Our findings suggest that pMSS can activate oxytocinergic neurons, leading to upregulation of oxytocin secretion and neurite outgrowth. As a result, sociability was rapidly improved after a one-week pMSS treatment regimen. These results demonstrate a promising magneto-stimulation method for regulating neuronal activity in deep brain nuclei and provide a promising therapeutic approach for autism spectrum disorder.
Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology* ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus/physiology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods* ; Male ; Social Behavior ; Mice ; Oxytocin/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neurons/physiology*

Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is one of the commonly used brain stimulation techniques. In order to investigate the effects of rTMS on the excitability of different types of neurons, this study is conducted to investigate the effects of rTMS on the cognitive function of mice and the excitability of hippocampal glutaminergic neurons and gamma-aminobutyric neurons from the perspective of electrophysiology. In this study, mice were randomly divided into glutaminergic control group, glutaminergic magnetic stimulation group, gamma-aminobutyric acid energy control group, and gamma-aminobutyric acid magnetic stimulation group. The four groups of mice were injected with adeno-associated virus to label two types of neurons and were implanted optical fiber. The stimulation groups received 14 days of stimulation and the control groups received 14 days of pseudo-stimulation. The fluorescence intensity of calcium ions in mice was recorded by optical fiber system. Behavioral experiments were conducted to explore the changes of cognitive function in mice. The patch-clamp system was used to detect the changes of neuronal action potential characteristics. The results showed that rTMS significantly improved the cognitive function of mice, increased the amplitude of calcium fluorescence of glutamergic neurons and gamma-aminobutyric neurons in the hippocampus, and enhanced the action potential related indexes of glutamergic neurons and gamma-aminobutyric neurons. The results suggest that rTMS can improve the cognitive ability of mice by enhancing the excitability of hippocampal glutaminergic neurons and gamma-aminobutyric neurons.
Animals ; Mice ; Hippocampus/cytology* ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Neurons/physiology* ; Male ; Cognition/physiology* ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism* ; Action Potentials/physiology*

In order to explore effective ways to reduce non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among female adolescents, a total of 45 female adolescent patients with NSSI in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Guizhou Second Provincial People's Hospital from June 2021 to June 2024 were selected randomly that divided into groups A, B and C, with 15 cases in each group. Group A was treated with repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and bipolar depression triple therapy, and group B was treated with bipolar depression triple therapy to compare the effectiveness and safety. Group C received bipolar depression triple therapy combined with sham stimulation which only produced stimulating sounds but no stimulating magnetic field as a control in the study. After treatment, the Hamilton Anxiety Score (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Score (HAMD) and Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR) in group A were significantly lower than those in group B and C ( P < 0.01). rTMS combined with bipolar depression triple therapy has a definite effect on reducing NSSI in female adolescents, which can reduce the incidence rate of short-term NSSI behavior in patients.
Humans ; Female ; Adolescent ; Self-Injurious Behavior/prevention & control* ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods* ; Bipolar Disorder/therapy* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that mostly occurs in middle-aged and elderly people. It is characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and aggregation of Lewy bodies, resulting in a series of motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms. Depression is the most important manifestation of non-motor symptoms, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Clinicians often use antidepressant drugs to improve the depressive symptoms of patients with Parkinson 's disease, but it is still urgent to solve the problems of drug side effects and drug resistance caused by such methods. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a safe and non-invasive neuromodulation technique that can change the excitability of the corticospinal tract, induce the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, and further improve the depressive symptoms of patients with Parkinson 's disease. Based on this, this paper discusses and summarizes the research progress on the efficacy and potential mechanism of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for improving depression in Parkinson 's disease at home and abroad, in order to provide reference for related clinical application research.
Humans ; Parkinson Disease/psychology* ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods* ; Depression/etiology*