Application of transcranial magnetic stimulation in stroke therapy

The basic principle of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is modulation of cortical excitability, with either net-inhibitory or net-facilitatory effects. TMS offers new therapeutic options to support adaptive or inhibit maladaptive reorganization in the brain. A number of promising approaches for modulation of neurological deficits after stroke exist, but few have been thoroughly evaluated. There are, however, promising positive results observed in single case studies. These results are presently evaluated in randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trials.