Andreea Cotoi1, Magdalena Mirkowski1, Jerome Iruthayarajah1, Rachel Anderson1, Robert Teasell1,2,3. 1. 1 Parkwood Institute Research, Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Institute, London, ON, Canada. 2. 2 Parkwood Institute, St Joseph's Health Care London, London, ON, Canada. 3. 3 Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: : To evaluate the effectiveness of theta-burst stimulation for the treatment of stroke-induced unilateral spatial neglect. DATA SOURCES:: A systematic literature search was conducted from the inception of each database to 30 June 2018 using CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus. REVIEW METHODS: : Articles were included if theta-burst stimulation was used to treat neglect following a stroke. The additional a priori inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) ⩾3 adult (⩾18 years) participants, (2) ⩾50% stroke population, and (3) peer-reviewed journal articles published in English. Extracted data included study and treatment characteristics, results, and adverse events. RESULTS: : Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, generating a total of 148 participants. Eight studies evaluated a continuous stimulation protocol and one study investigated an intermittent stimulation protocol. Overall, both protocols significantly improved neglect severity when compared against placebo or active controls ( P < 0.05). Adding smooth pursuit training to theta-burst stimulation did not improve neglect relative to when the stimulation was delivered alone ( P > 0.05). There was inconsistent reporting of neglect terminology, outcome measures, and adverse events. The treatment characteristics were heterogeneous among the trials. CONCLUSION: : This systematic review found that theta-burst stimulation seems to improve post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect, but because the evidence is limited to a few small studies with varied and inconsistent protocols and use of terminology, no firm conclusion on effectiveness can be drawn.
OBJECTIVE: : To evaluate the effectiveness of theta-burst stimulation for the treatment of stroke-induced unilateral spatial neglect. DATA SOURCES:: A systematic literature search was conducted from the inception of each database to 30 June 2018 using CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus. REVIEW METHODS: : Articles were included if theta-burst stimulation was used to treat neglect following a stroke. The additional a priori inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) ⩾3 adult (⩾18 years) participants, (2) ⩾50% stroke population, and (3) peer-reviewed journal articles published in English. Extracted data included study and treatment characteristics, results, and adverse events. RESULTS: : Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, generating a total of 148 participants. Eight studies evaluated a continuous stimulation protocol and one study investigated an intermittent stimulation protocol. Overall, both protocols significantly improved neglect severity when compared against placebo or active controls ( P < 0.05). Adding smooth pursuit training to theta-burst stimulation did not improve neglect relative to when the stimulation was delivered alone ( P > 0.05). There was inconsistent reporting of neglect terminology, outcome measures, and adverse events. The treatment characteristics were heterogeneous among the trials. CONCLUSION: : This systematic review found that theta-burst stimulation seems to improve post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect, but because the evidence is limited to a few small studies with varied and inconsistent protocols and use of terminology, no firm conclusion on effectiveness can be drawn.