Effects of rTMS on grip force control in subcortical stroke

Objective: Within the concept of interhemispheric competition we tested the effect of inhibitory 1Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied over the primary motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere upon dexterity of the affected hand in subcortical stroke patients. Methods: Subjects grasped, lifted and held an instrumented object between the index finger and thumb with both the affected and unaffected hand prior to (baseline) and following 1Hz rTMS applied over (i) the vertex (control stimulation) and (ii) the primary motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere. Results: Compared to baseline,…