Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on motor recovery in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury （SCI）. Methods 22 patients with T₅～T₁₂ incomplete spinal cord injury (ASIA C) were randomly divided into rTMS group and control group. 12 ptients in rTMS group were treated with 10Hz rTMS （10×5 s with 2 min interval) on motor cortex and rehabilitation. 10 patients in control group treated with rehabilitation only. They were assessed with ASIA motor score, ASIA pin prick score, ASIA light touch score, range of motion (ROM) of legs in antigravitation position, walking index for spinal cord injury Ⅱ (WISCIⅡ) and functional independence measure (FIM) score before and 4 weeks after treatment. Results There was no difference between two groups with the clinical assessment before treatment （P>0.05）. The ASIA motor score, ROM of legs and FIM score improved in both groups after treatment （P<0.05）. The score of WISCIⅡ also improved in rTMS group （P<0.05）, and ASIA motor score improved more in rTMS group than that of control group （P<0.05）. Conclusion rTMS can facilitate the recovery of the motor and walking function in patient with incomplete spinal cord injury.

Key words: spinal cord injury, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, motor function, rehabilitation