| Objective:A blinded,randomized,placebo-controlled intervention trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)for patients with chronic non-fluent aphasia after stroke.Method:A total of 40 patients with patients with chronic non-fluent aphasia after stroke were randomly assigned to the experimental(rTMS)group(n=20)or control(sham-rTMS)group(n=20).Participants in the rTMS group received rTMS therapy,while those in the control group received sham-rTMS for once per day,five days per week for a total of two weeks.All participants in both groups received conventional rehabilitation.The Western Aphasia Battery(WAB),the Communicative Abilities in Daily Living Test(CADL)and adverse reaction were used to assess the speech function,communicative abilities of daily living and safety,respectively.Result:After 2 weeks treatment,participants in both groups showed a significant improvement in WAB(P<0.01).The improvement was showed already after 1-week treatment,but there was no significant improvement between the two groups(P>0.05).After 2 weeks treatment participants in rTMS groups shows a significantly greater improvement than the control did(P<0.05).After 2 weeks treatment,participants in both groups showed a significant improvement in CADL(P<0.01).The improvement was showed already after 1-week treatment,but there was no significant improvement between the two groups(P>0.05).After 2 weeks treatment there was still no significant improvement between the two groups(P>0.05),but there was a better trend that participants in rTMS groups shows a greater improvement than the control did.No adverse reaction was recorded in any of the cases mentioned at all study sites.Conclusion:1.Conventional speech therapy combined with rTMS for 2 weeks can improve patients with chronic(more than 6 months)non-fluent aphasia in speech function.And the treatment group was significantly better than the sham stimulation group in terms of speech,listening comprehension,naming,and the performance of repeat of the two groups were not significantly different.2.After 2 weeks treatment,participants in both groups showed a significant improvement in CADL,but there was no significant improvement between the two groups.3.After 2 weeks treatment there was no significant improvement between the two groups(P>0.05)in CADL,but there was a better trend that participants in rTMS groups shows a greater improvement than the control did.In order to reveal the effect of rTMS on patients with chronic non-fluent aphasia after stroke more accurately,further studies focused on one specific muscle groups with rigorous design methodology,larger sample size and specificly designed protocol are warranted to further verify the results.4.No adverse reaction was reported during the research.Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be used as a relatively safe method for treating patients with chronic non-fluent aphasia after stroke. |
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