Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-stroke non-fluent aphasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Jing Cheng; Yijing Jiang; Ting Rao; Yihan Yang; Yanping Liu; Ying Zhan; Shanli Yang

doi:10.3389/fneur.2024.1348695

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-stroke non-fluent aphasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Front Neurol. 2024 May 1:15:1348695. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1348695. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Jing Cheng^#¹, Yijing Jiang^#², Ting Rao^#^{2

3}, Yihan Yang³, Yanping Liu^{2

3}, Ying Zhan³, Shanli Yang²

Affiliations

¹ First School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
² Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
³ School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on language function in patients with non-fluent aphasia post-stroke.

Methods: We selected randomized clinical trials (RCT) that involved stroke patients with non-fluent aphasia, whose intervention was rTMS vs. no therapy or other therapy. Two researchers autonomously reviewed the literature based on the specified criteria for inclusion and exclusion and completed the process of data extraction, data verification, and quality evaluation. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata MP 17, while the assessment of risk of bias was carried out utilizing the Risk of Bias version 2 tool (RoB2).

Results: The meta-analysis involved 47 RCTs, encompassing 2,190 patients overall. The indexes indicated that rTMS has the potential to decrease the severity of non-fluent aphasia in stroke patients, including improvement of the capability of repetition, naming, and spontaneous language. The determination of BDNF in the serum of patients was also increased. In addition, rTMS reduced the likelihood of depression in stroke patients.

Conclusion: To summarize the relevant studies, rTMS has significant effects on improving the language abilities of stroke patients suffering from non-fluent aphasia, including the abilities of repetition, naming, and spontaneous language.

Keywords: meta-analysis; non-fluent aphasia; repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; stroke; systematic review.

Publication types

Systematic Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 82074513) and the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China (Grant no. 2021J01955).