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These authors evaluated the antiepileptic effects of 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with drug-refractory epilepsy due to malformations of cortical development. This slow rate of stimulation was selected because it inhibits cortical excitability. Twenty-one patients were randomized, in double-blind fashion, to undergo either five consecutive daily sessions of rTMS (fixed at 70% of stimulator output) or sham stimulation, for 1200 pulses each, targeting the malformations. The number of clinical seizures was assessed by diary, and the number of epileptiform discharges on EEG were measured before (baseline) and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment.
The active group, but not the sham group, improved significan…