IMR Press / JIN / Volume 22 / Issue 5 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2205131
Open Access Systematic Review
Efficacy and Safety of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Poststroke Memory Disorder: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
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1 College of Acupuncture & Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, 410208 Changsha, Hunan, China
2 Department of Rehabilitation, Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital and the 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Medical School, 518052 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
*Correspondence: 86869454@qq.com (Jie Tan); zhaoning2018@email.szu.edu.cn (Ning Zhao)
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2023, 22(5), 131; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2205131
Submitted: 1 March 2023 | Revised: 8 June 2023 | Accepted: 13 June 2023 | Published: 5 September 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Patients with post-stroke memory disorder (PSMD) have poor quality of life and it is necessary to identify more beneficial stimulation protocols for treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of rTMS for improving memory performance, global cognition, and activities of daily living (ADL) among patients with PSMD. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang databases were screened to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was memory performance; secondary outcomes included global cognition, ADL, and adverse events. STATA software was used to perform data synthesis. Results: Five articles with a total of 192 participants were included. The results indicated that rTMS was superior to control treatments for improving memory performance (mean difference [MD] = 1.73, 95% CI [Confidence Interval] [0.85, 2.60], p < 0.001), global cognition (MD = 2.44, 95% CI [0.96, 3.93], p < 0.001), and ADL (MD = 10.29, 95% CI [5.10, 15.48], p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) rTMS subgroups (p = 0.47, I2 = 0.00%) or between the sham rTMS and non-rTMS subgroups (p = 0.94, I2 = 0.00%). Four studies did not reported adverse events. Conclusions: rTMS may improve memory function, global cognition, and the ability to perform ADL in patients with PSMD. LF-rTMS and HF-rTMS may have equal efficacy for treatment of PSMD. Future studies should consider extending the follow-up period to explore the safety and long-term efficacy of rTMS for treatment of PSMD and the appropriate choice of placebo for clinical trials of this treatment.

Keywords
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
memory disorders
stroke
meta-analysis
Funding
81874499/National Natural Science Foundation of China
2022CX106/Hunan University of Chinese Medicine Postgraduate Innovation Project
Figures
Fig. 1.
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