Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of various intensity of 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on upper limbs motor function after stroke. Methods From December, 2014 to December, 2015, sixty patients with ischemic stroke were randomly divided into high density group (HD, n=20), low density group (LD, n=20) and control group (n=20). They all received routine rehabilitation and medication. The HD group received rTMS over contralesional motor cortex twice a day, while the LD group received rTMS once a day, and the control group received sham stimulation, 10 minutes a time for 10 days. They were tested with motor- evoked potentials (MEPs), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) of upper limbs and modified Barthel Index (MBI) before and after treatment. Results The amplitude of MEPs of the affected cortex, the scores of FMA and MBI were more in HD and LD groups than in the control group after treatment (P<0.01), and were more in HD group than in LD group (P<0.01). No serious side-effect was found. Conclusion rTMS was feasible for patients with stroke to improve the upper limbs motor function. It is more effective as more times a day.

Key words: stroke, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, motor, upper limbs, rehabilitation