Faculty mentor/PI email address
leonepa@rowan.edu
Keywords
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Chronic Neuropathic Pain
Date of Presentation
5-6-2026 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Background
Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) can be refractory to traditional pharmacologic therapies, giving rise to the investigation of non-invasive alternatives such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). rTMS utilizes magnetic fields to modulate neuronal activity within specific brain regions, offering a targeted approach to analgesia without the side effects of systemic medication1,2,3,4.
Hypothesis
rTMS produces a greater reduction in reported pain intensity compared to sham stimulation in adults diagnosed with CNP.
Methods
A systematic review and analysis were conducted, utilizing PubMed and Embase (2004–2025) for sham-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and relevant meta-analyses. The review focused on outcomes such as self-assessed pain scores and percent pain relief, specifically evaluating high-frequency stimulation protocols.
Results
Analysis results revealed that high-frequency primary motor cortex (M1) rTMS significantly reduced pain intensity compared to sham at 2 weeks (MD 0.50, 95% CI 0.09–0.91) and 6 weeks (MD 1.06, 95% CI 0.55–1.57), indicating a time-dependent benefit. Furthermore, M1 stimulation demonstrated consistent superiority over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation at both follow-up intervals. Although statistical heterogeneity was moderate to high (I² 69–83%), the direction of effect uniformly favored active M1-rTMS. Adverse effects were limited to mild, transient symptoms such as scalp discomfort and headaches1,2.
Conclusion
Current evidence supports high-frequency M1-rTMS as a safe and clinically meaningful adjunctive therapy for adults with CNP. However, significant protocol heterogeneity and limited long-term data suggest that standardized stimulation algorithms and large-scale multicenter trials are essential to confirm durability and optimize clinical use.
Disciplines
Anesthesia and Analgesia | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nervous System Diseases
Efficacy of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Reducing Pain Intensity in Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Sham-Controlled Analysis
Background
Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) can be refractory to traditional pharmacologic therapies, giving rise to the investigation of non-invasive alternatives such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). rTMS utilizes magnetic fields to modulate neuronal activity within specific brain regions, offering a targeted approach to analgesia without the side effects of systemic medication1,2,3,4.
Hypothesis
rTMS produces a greater reduction in reported pain intensity compared to sham stimulation in adults diagnosed with CNP.
Methods
A systematic review and analysis were conducted, utilizing PubMed and Embase (2004–2025) for sham-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and relevant meta-analyses. The review focused on outcomes such as self-assessed pain scores and percent pain relief, specifically evaluating high-frequency stimulation protocols.
Results
Analysis results revealed that high-frequency primary motor cortex (M1) rTMS significantly reduced pain intensity compared to sham at 2 weeks (MD 0.50, 95% CI 0.09–0.91) and 6 weeks (MD 1.06, 95% CI 0.55–1.57), indicating a time-dependent benefit. Furthermore, M1 stimulation demonstrated consistent superiority over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation at both follow-up intervals. Although statistical heterogeneity was moderate to high (I² 69–83%), the direction of effect uniformly favored active M1-rTMS. Adverse effects were limited to mild, transient symptoms such as scalp discomfort and headaches1,2.
Conclusion
Current evidence supports high-frequency M1-rTMS as a safe and clinically meaningful adjunctive therapy for adults with CNP. However, significant protocol heterogeneity and limited long-term data suggest that standardized stimulation algorithms and large-scale multicenter trials are essential to confirm durability and optimize clinical use.