Peripheral magnetic theta burst stimulation to muscles can effectively reduce spasticity: a randomized controlled trial.
Nevine El Nahas, Fatma Fathalla Kenawy, Eman Hamid Abd Eldayem and 8 others
PMID 35034653WHAT IT FOUND
Applying intermittent theta burst stimulation to spastic muscles for 8 sessions reduced muscle tone significantly more than sham.
The active group saw a mean percent reduction in spasticity of 0.27 compared to 0.09 in the sham group. This suggests a potential alternative to Botulinum toxin.
Key findings
01Active peripheral intermittent theta burst stimulation resulted in a significantly greater reduction in modified Ashworth scale scores compared to sham stimulation.
02The active group achieved a minimal clinically important difference in spasticity in 41 muscles, compared to only 6 muscles in the sham group.
03Higher baseline spasticity was associated with a greater reduction in muscle tone after the intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a pilot study with a small sample size (36 patients), which limits the generalizability of the findings. The study did not assess functional outcomes or long-term effects, only immediate changes in muscle tone and estimated toxin dose. The sham coil produced sounds similar to the active coil, but it is unclear if patients could distinguish between the two based on the sensation of muscle contraction in the active group. The study included patients with various neurological disorders (stroke, MS, SCI), so the results may not be equally applicable to all etiologies.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this treatment is ready for widespread clinical use. This was a small pilot study that measured muscle tone and estimated toxin doses, not actual functional improvement or long-term patient outcomes. Larger trials are needed to confirm efficacy and safety.