Observation Of Curative Effect Of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation To Essential Tremor

Objective:To investigate the effects of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)applied to the cerebellum of patients with essential tremor(ET).Methods:Six subjects with ET aged from 28 to 61 were treated with 1 Hz rTMS to the cerebellum at 90%of the resting motor threshold(RMT),receiving 1800 pulses/day for 5 days in a row.Clinical assessment were conducted before and after rTMS with the Clinical Rating Scale for tremor(CRST).Results:Except one patient who felt heavier tremor,the other 5 cases felt their symptoms briefly turn for the better.The CRST score of 2 cases with longest duration of ET decreased after the treatment,including the oldest patient with the most severe and longest duration of ET showed the most significant decline of CRST scores and felt better after rTMS.However,there was no statistically significant difference in CRST scores of the six patients with ET.Conclusion:Application of 1 Hz rTMS to the cerebellum can potentially improve the clinical symptoms of elderly ET patients with longer disease course and more severe symptoms.