rTMS combined with synchronous working memory training on cognitive function of stroke patients in the elderly

Liu Jin; Zhao Yun; Yang Xiaofan; Li Xuebing

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1009-0126.2024.05.014

Abstract：Objective To explore the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)combined with synchronous working memory training on memory,attention,executive function and other cognitive functions in stroke patients.Methods A total of 100 stroke inpatients and outpatients admitted in Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Hongqi Hospital Affiliated to Mudanjiang Medical College from January 2022 to May 2023 were enrolled and randomly divided into a synchronous group(simultaneous rTMS and working memory training),a rTMS group,a working memory training group,and a control group(no cognitive training),there were 25 case in each group.Stroop test,Rivermead behavioral memory test,Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA),modified Barthel index(MBI)test,and Fugl-Meyer test were applied before and after treatment.Results There were no significant differences in above test scores among the four groups before treatment(P＞0.05).After treatment,Stroop test showed that the synchronization group had significantly higher accuracy rates of the baseline phase and the conflict phase than the other three groups(P＜0.05),shorter reaction time of the baseline phase than the working mem-ory training group and the control group(1043.76±260.38 ms vs 1299.36±468.86 ms and 1418.68±412.25 ms,P＜0.05),and shorter reaction time of the conflict phase than the control group(P＜0.05).The synchronization group scored statistically higher scores than the other three groups in the Rivermead behavioral memory test,MoCA test,modified Barthel test,and Fugl-Meyer test(P＜0.05).Conclusion rTMS combined with synchronous working memory training can effectively improve the cognitive function in stroke patients.