Abstract: Executive impairment is one of the common sequelae of stroke, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), as a new type of electrophysiological technique, has been used in the clinical treatment of Post-Stroke Executive Impairment (PSEI). This paper summarized the survey of PSEI, the basic principle and mechanism of rTMS, clinical application of rTMS for PSEI and its safety. Clinical studies showed that high frequency stimulation, low frequency stimulation, and combination with other therapeutic methods were effective in PSEI. However, there was no unified theory about the mechanism and the best treatment plan of rTMS for PSEI.

Key words: stroke, cognitive impairment, executive impairment, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, review