Objective To compare the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) applied to the motor cortex representation of the mylohyoid muscle in treating post-stroke dysphagia. Methods Ninety-two patients with post-stroke dysphagia (July 2022–May 2023) were randomized into three groups: rTMS ( n = 31), iTBS ( n = 30), and control ( n = 31). The rTMS and iTBS groups received respective stimulations plus routine rehabilitation; the control group received routine rehabilitation alone. Swallowing function was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) and Dysphagia Disability Index (DD). Results After 2 weeks, all groups showed significant swallowing improvement ( p 0.001). Both rTMS and iTBS groups demonstrated greater improvement in PAS and DD scores versus controls ( p 0.001). No significant difference emerged between rTMS and iTBS efficacy ( p 0.05). Conclusion rTMS and iTBS equivalently improve post-stroke dysphagia. iTBS achieves comparable outcomes with shorter treatment duration, supporting its clinical adoption. Clinical trial registration Identifier ChiCTR2200058246, https://www.chictr.org.cn/ .
Li et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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