In Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Offers No Improvement in Cognitive Function

Active treatment produced no better results than sham.

Effective therapies are needed for cognitive impairment after traumatic brain injury (TBI), with some evidence suggesting that cholinesterase inhibitors are effective. These researchers examined the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex versus sham treatment in 30 patients with chronic diffuse axonal injury (DAI) after severe TBI.

Patients' average age was about 30; roughly 90% were men. According to mean Glasgow Coma Scale scores, most TBIs were severe. After randomization to active or sham stimulation, patients received daily sessions for 10 days. Active treatment consisted of high-frequency (10-Hz) pulses for 5 seconds separated by 25 seconds of no stimulus, for a total o…

Reviewing Author

Jonathan Silver, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)

Jonathan Silver, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience

In Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Offers No Improvement in Cognitive Function

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Reviewing Author