Randomized Sham Controlled Double-blind Trial of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Adults With Severe Tourette Syndrome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A small proportion of individuals with Tourette syndrome (TS) have a lifelong course of illness that fails to respond to conventional treatments. Open label studies have suggested that low frequency (1-Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the supplementary motor area (SMA) may be effective in reducing tic severity.

Objective/hypothesis

To examine the efficacy of rTMS over the SMA for TS in a randomized double-blind sham-controlled trial (RCT).

Methods

We conducted a two-site RCT-rTMS with 20 adults with severe TS for 3 weeks. Treatment consisted of 15 sessions (1-Hz; 30 min; 1800 pulses per day) of active or sham rTMS at 110% of the motor threshold over the SMA. A subsequent 3 week course of active rTMS treatment was offered.

SUBMITTER: Landeros-Weisenberger A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4454615 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature