TY - JOUR
T1 - Slow repetitive TMS for drug-resistant epilepsy
T2 - Clinical and EEG findings of a placebo-controlled trial
AU - Cantello, Roberto
AU - Rossi, Simone
AU - Varrasi, Claudia
AU - Ulivelli, Monica
AU - Civardi, Carlo
AU - Bartalini, Sabina
AU - Vatti, Giampaolo
AU - Cincotta, Massimo
AU - Borgheresi, Alessandra
AU - Zaccara, Gaetano
AU - Quartarone, Angelo
AU - Crupi, Domenica
AU - Laganà, Angela
AU - Inghilleri, Maurizio
AU - Giallonardo, Anna Teresa
AU - Berardelli, Alfredo
AU - Pacifici, Loredana
AU - Ferreri, Florinda
AU - Tombini, Mario
AU - Gilio, Francesca
AU - Quarato, Pierpaolo
AU - Conte, Antonella
AU - Manganotti, Paolo
AU - Bongiovanni, Liugi Giuseppe
AU - Monaco, Francesco
AU - Ferrante, Daniela
AU - Rossini, Paolo Maria
PY - 2007/2
Y1 - 2007/2
N2 - Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of slow repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as an adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. Methods: Forty-three patients with drug-resistant epilepsy from eight Italian Centers underwent a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover study on the clinical and EEG effects of slow rTMS. The stimulus frequency was 0.3 Hz. One thousand stimuli per day were given at the resting motor threshold intensity for 5 consecutive days, with a round coil at the vertex. Results: "Active" rTMS was no better than placebo for seizure reduction. However, it decreased interictal EEG epileptiform abnormalities significantly (p < 0.05) in one-third of the patients, which supports a detectable biologic effect. No correlation linked the rTMS effects on seizure frequency to syndrome or anatomic classification, seizure type, EEG changes, or resting motor threshold (an index of motor cortex excitability). Conclusions: Although the antiepileptic action was not significant (p > 0.05), the individual EEG reactivity to "active" rTMS may be encouraging for the development of more-powerful, noninvasive neuromodulatory strategies.
AB - Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of slow repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as an adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. Methods: Forty-three patients with drug-resistant epilepsy from eight Italian Centers underwent a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover study on the clinical and EEG effects of slow rTMS. The stimulus frequency was 0.3 Hz. One thousand stimuli per day were given at the resting motor threshold intensity for 5 consecutive days, with a round coil at the vertex. Results: "Active" rTMS was no better than placebo for seizure reduction. However, it decreased interictal EEG epileptiform abnormalities significantly (p < 0.05) in one-third of the patients, which supports a detectable biologic effect. No correlation linked the rTMS effects on seizure frequency to syndrome or anatomic classification, seizure type, EEG changes, or resting motor threshold (an index of motor cortex excitability). Conclusions: Although the antiepileptic action was not significant (p > 0.05), the individual EEG reactivity to "active" rTMS may be encouraging for the development of more-powerful, noninvasive neuromodulatory strategies.
KW - Drug-resistant epilepsy
KW - EEG
KW - Slow repetitive TMS
KW - Treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33846796003&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2006.00938.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2006.00938.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0013-9580
VL - 48
SP - 366
EP - 374
JO - Epilepsia
JF - Epilepsia
IS - 2
ER -