SynthesisJournal of neurology2026
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on post-stroke limb spasticity.
Synthesis in Journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Ictal laughter induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in stroke patients: a case series.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPost-stroke spasticity significantly impairs motor function in patients. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), including conventional rTMS and its patterned protocols such as continuous and intermittent theta-burst stimulation (cTBS/iTBS), has been widely investigated as a promising noninvasive neuromodulation technique to promote motor recovery after stroke. However, the efficacy of rTMS in treating post-stroke spasticity remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects of rTMS on post-stroke spasticity through a meta-analysis.
methodsA comprehensive search was conducted for randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 1, 2010, and July 1, 2025, in the Embase, Cochrane Library, and PubMed databases. The inclusion criteria were post-stroke patients with a baseline modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score of ≥ 1, indicating the presence of spasticity. The interventions of interest were repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or intermittent/transient theta-burst stimulation (iTBS/cTBS), with the primary outcome measure being the MAS score. Cochran's Q test and the I
resultsA total of 12 RCTs were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis results demonstrated that, compared to the control group, rTMS interventions significantly reduced the MAS score, with a pooled mean difference (MD) of -0.51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: - 0.66 to - 0.36, p < 0.00001). Sensitivity analysis using the leave-one-out method confirmed the robustness of this result. Subgroup analysis indicated that the therapeutic effects of rTMS were consistent across different stimulation protocols (LF-rTMS, iTBS/cTBS), target areas (contralateral M1 region, other brain areas), and stages of stroke (subacute, chronic). Meta-regression analysis revealed that the total number of treatment pulses was not a significant source of heterogeneity, nor was it significantly correlated with treatment efficacy.
conclusionsrTMS is a promising adjunctive intervention for post-stroke limb spasticity, with its efficacy confirmed across various stimulation parameters and patient populations. However, no significant effect of the total number of treatment pulses on therapeutic outcomes was identified.
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Registered trials
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.