Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41852796›Full record

ArticleClinical neurophysiology practice2026

Re-evaluating transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS): No inhibitory effects on motor cortex across hemispheres.

Sabrina Lorenz, Linda Bartusch, Cornelia Heusler, Stefan Götz, Thomas Kammer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical neurophysiology practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sabrina LorenzSection for Neurostimulation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Linda BartuschSection for Neurostimulation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Cornelia HeuslerSection for Neurostimulation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Stefan GötzDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RPTU Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Thomas KammerSection for Neurostimulation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) exerts inhibitory effects on the human motor cortex and whether these effects differ between dominant and non-dominant hemispheres. Methods: Participants underwent tSMS (20 min) and sham stimulation, targeting either the left (dominant, n = 19) or right (non-dominant, n = 19) motor cortex in a between-subject design. Corticospinal excitability was assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), using single-pulse motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and paired-pulse paradigms (short-interval intracortical inhibition SICI, intracortical facilitation ICF). Neuronavigation ensured stable hotspot localization. Results: No significant differences in MEP amplitudes were observed between tSMS and sham stimulation. Paired-pulse measures confirmed robust inhibition and facilitation, with higher reliability for SICI. However, neither SICI nor ICF showed modulation by tSMS. Conclusions: tSMS modulated excitability in neither the dominant nor the non- dominant hemisphere. The results suggest that previously reported effects may reflect methodological limitations, particularly absence of neuronavigation or low trial numbers. Significance: This study provides the first direct hemispheric comparison of tSMS using neuronavigation and robust stimulation protocols, questioning the robustness of earlier findings and highlighting methodological standards for future research.

Indexed as

ICFMEP variabilityMotor systemReplication studySICIStatic magnetic fieldtSMS

Identifiers

PMID41852796
PMCPMC12992518

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.