rTMS and Physical Therapy as a Clinical Service for People With Stroke

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. The disability stems not only from neurons killed by the stroke but also from neurons that become dormant from non-use and other reasons. The killed neurons cannot be recovered but the excitability of the dormant neurons can be improved. Increasing this excitability makes for easier voluntary recruitment of these neurons in patients, which translates to improved voluntary function and quality of life. Investigators have used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for 10 years at the University of Minnesota in strictly a research mode. Investigators have found that some people benefit from the rTMS and some do not. Investigators also have observed that some people in prior studies have asked to receive rTMS after research participation had concluded and people were willing to pay for the service privately. However, until recently, investigators were not able to offer such service. Investigators have succeeded in getting approval from the University of Minnesota that allows rTMS combined with physical therapy to be given to outpatients with stroke who have physician referral. Patients will receive an initial block of five rTMS/physical therapy (rTMS/PT) treatments to the nonstroke hemisphere and, if early signs of benefit are shown, the patients will receive a second block of 5 additional treatments. If patients do not show improvement, an alternative approach involving rTMS to the stroke hemisphere will be offered. Patients will be informed in advance of the cost, that most insurance carriers will not cover the cost, and that patients would have to pay privately for treatments. The research component of this project involves collecting hand function data along with stroke characteristics to conduct a responder vs. nonresponder analysis. In this way, investigators would be providing clinical service to patients who desire this treatment while learning further the characteristics of those who benefit and those who do not, which would guide future treatment decisions.