Transcranial magnetic stimulation in neurorehabilitation: experience and prospects

Abstract

Diagnostic transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a valuable neurophysiological technique. The use of TMS has fundamentally changed the therapy and diagnosis of nervous diseases, introducing the possibility of direct assessment of conduction along the motor pathway in the central region, neuroplasticity, the ratio of central inhibition and excitation, and the effect on neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. The technique is safe, has a low cost and there is no need to purchase expensive consumables, it is applicable for a wide range of diseases in both adult and pediatric practice. The issues of the TMS use in CVA, depression, cerebral palsy and neurodegenerative diseases (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, parkinsonism) have been studied to the greatest extent. When carrying out TMS in children, it should be borne in mind that signs of incomplete myelination of the motor pathways, which are normally observed, may look like pathological changes (demyelination or axonal disorders). The basic principles of TMS in both adults and children have been established and known, and the age norms have been determined, which makes it possible to widely implement this technique in applied neurophysiological practice. In the rehabilitation process, TMS can be used as a tool for personalizing and monitoring the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment.