A Meta-Analysis: Whether Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves Dysfunction Caused by Stroke with Lower Limb Spasticity

Yu Liu; Hong Li; Jun Zhang; Qing-Qing Zhao; Hao-Nan Mei; Jiang Ma

doi:10.1155/2021/7219293

A Meta-Analysis: Whether Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves Dysfunction Caused by Stroke with Lower Limb Spasticity

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Nov 28:2021:7219293. doi: 10.1155/2021/7219293. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yu Liu¹, Hong Li¹, Jun Zhang², Qing-Qing Zhao^{1

3}, Hao-Nan Mei^{1

3}, Jiang Ma¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shijiazhuang People's Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050030, Hebei, China.
² Rehabilitation District of Taihe Hospital, Shiyan 442000, Hubei, China.
³ School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, Hebei, China.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in improving lower limb spasticity after stroke.

Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine (CBM) disc, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang databases were searched online from their inception to May 2021 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for lower extremity spasticity after stroke. Valid data were extracted from the included literature, and the quality evaluation was conducted with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions along with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale (PE-Dro scale). The data that met the quality requirements were systematically analysed using Review Manager 5.4 software.

Results: A total of 554 patients from seven articles (nine studies) were quantitatively analysed. Outcomes included the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Timed Up and Go (TUG), measured as the effect of rTMS compared with controls conditions after treatment. The systematic review showed that rTMS reduced MAS and increased MBI scores, respectively (SMD = -0.24, 95% CI [-0.45, -0.03], P = 0.02; MD = 6.14, 95% CI [-3.93,8.35], P ＜ 0.00001), compared with control conditions. Low-frequency rTMS (LF-rTMS) significantly improved FMA-LE scores (SMD = 0.32, 95% CI [0.13, 0.51], P = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in FMA-LE scores when using high-frequency rTMS (HF-rTMS) (P > 0.1) and in TUG times (P > 0.1) between the treatment and control groups.

Conclusions: rTMS was effective in improving spasticity and activities of daily living. LF-rTMS has positive clinical effects on enhancing motor function in patients who experience lower extremity spasticity after stroke. To better validate the above conclusions, more multicentre, high-quality, and double-blind randomized controlled trials are needed.

Publication types

Review