Influence of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on disease severity and oxidative stress markers in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with spinocerebellar degeneration.

Ataxia severity, cerebellar hemispheric blood flow (CHBF), ascorbate free radical (AFR), superoxide dismutase protein, superoxide scavenging activity, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were compared before and after an 8-week course of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in 20 patients with spinocerebellar degenerations (SCD). SCD patients showed higher AFR, 8-OHdG, and superoxide scavenging activity than 19 controls. In SCD patients, AFR and ataxia severity declined, and CHBF increased after rTMS. As the SCD patients showed negative correlations between ataxia severity and CHBF or superoxide scavenging activity, the therapeutic mechanism of rTMS may involve decreased oxidative stress and increased CHBF.