Trial reportEuropean journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine2025
Combining low-frequency magnetic stimulation with motor imagery to improve lower limb recovery and motor pathway integrity in cerebral infarction: a randomized, double-blind, and controlled study.
Trial report in European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Recent research on rehabilitation interventions for post-stroke gait and balance in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Deep and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improves motor dysfunction after basal ganglia infarction: preliminary findings on efficacy and electrophysiological mechanisms.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLower limb dysfunction is common after stroke. While physical rehabilitation is the most widely used treatment, its effectiveness is limited in improving motor function.
aimThis study aimed to investigate the effect of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) combined with motor imagery (MI) on lower limb motor dysfunction in cerebral infarction patients.
designA randomized, double-blind, and controlled study.
settingThe Rehabilitation Department of a single Hospital. POPULATION: Sixty patients with lower limb motor impairment post-cerebral infarction were randomly allocated to the rTMS group, the MI group, and the combined rTMS + MI group.
methodsAll groups received standard physical rehabilitation training and the allocated treatment for 3 weeks. Motor function was evaluated before and after intervention with the Fugl-Meyer Lower Extremity Motor Function Scale (FMA-LE), Holden Walking Functional Classification (FAC), and Time-Up-Go Time Test (TUGT). Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to assess fractional anisotropy (FA) and the bilateral FA ratios (rFA) in the corona radiata, cerebral peduncles, posterior limb of the internal capsule, and infarction foci.
resultsThe combined treatment increased lower limb motor function (FMA-LE), walking ability (FAC levels), and functional mobility of the lower limb (TUGT), compared to patients receiving MI therapy alone. The combined treatment also had a superior effect to rTMS alone on walking ability. Furthermore, DTI findings demonstrated a more prominent increase in FA and rFA, mainly in the corona radiata, posterior limb of the internal capsule, and the infarcted foci following the combined treatment.
conclusionsLF-rTMS combined with MI could significantly enhance lower limb motor function in cerebral infarction patients, potentially by promoting neuroplasticity and functional connectivity along the motor pathways. Due to a lack of control group, much of the observed recovery was likely due to spontaneous improvement, given that our patients were in the sub-acute phase of stroke with mild to moderate motor impairment. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: This novel therapy provides a promising approach for improving lower limb motor recovery in stroke rehabilitation.
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