Role of repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation in functional recovery of post ischemic stroke dysphasia

Abstract

Objective: the aim of this study was to throw light on the different types of aphasia which can associate cerebrovascular ischemic stroke in a sample of stroke patients admitted to Ain shams university and Ain shams university specialized hospitals, and to evaluate the role of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a non invasive brain stimulation therapy in functional recovery of these dysphasic disorders. Method: total of 60 post cerebrovascular ischemic stroke aphasic patients in subacute phase (1-3 months) divided into 3 equal groups were included in the study, group A were subjected to stimulatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on dominant language areas, group B were subjected to inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on non dominant language homologue areas, group C were subjected to sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, aphasia subclass was diagnosed based on western aphasia battery, functional improvement was assessed by stroke aphasia quality of life 39 scale, communication items of stroke aphasia quality of life 39 scale and stroke aphasia depression questionnaire after 4 daily successive sessions vii of transcranial magnetic stimulation (1 week), after another 4 daily successive sessions (2 weeks) and after 1 month from enrollment into the study. Results: both active groups showed considerable positive results to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation compared to sham group on the 3 used scales, on further analysis of results based on rate of change, group B response was better than group A in global, receptive, transcortical aphasia subclasses, while group A was better in anomic aphasia, neither was superior to another in expressive subclass.