Effect of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation of the common fibular nerve on the soleus muscle Hoffmann reflex.
Kazunori Morozumi, Katsuyuki Morishita, Michio Tojima and 1 others
PMID 38694014WHAT IT FOUND
Repetitive magnetic stimulation of the common fibular nerve reduced soleus muscle H-reflex amplitude in healthy men, suggesting increased spinal inhibition.
However, the control group also showed changes, and the clinical effect on spasticity or function in patients was not tested.
Key findings
01The two-way ANOVA for H-reflex amplitude showed a significant interaction before and after the intervention in both the rPMS and control groups.
02The two-way ANOVA for H-reflex latency did not show a significant interaction between groups.
03In the rPMS group, the mean H-reflex maximum amplitude decreased from 10.1 mA to 9.2 mA, while the control group increased from 6.7 mA to 7.1 mA.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted on healthy young adults (18-22 years), so findings may not generalize to patients with neurological conditions like stroke or spinal cord injury who have altered spinal excitability. The significant interaction in H-reflex amplitude was observed in both the treatment and control groups, making it difficult to attribute the change solely to the magnetic stimulation. The study measured only neurophysiological outcomes (H-reflex amplitude and latency) and did not assess clinical outcomes such as muscle tone, spasticity, or functional movement. The sample size was small (n=24), which limits the precision of the estimates and the ability to detect smaller effects.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest, and no funding was received for the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that rPMS reduces spasticity or improves motor function in patients. The study was done on healthy adults, measured only reflex excitability, and the control group (who just rested) also showed a significant change in the primary outcome, meaning the effect of the stimulation itself is unclear.