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Efficacy and Safety of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: a Systematic Review and Meta‑analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

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Abstract

Therapeutic alternatives for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) are limited. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a potential intervention has drawn heightened interest because of its ease of implementation, cost-effectiveness, and safety profile. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of rTMS in the treatment of SCA3. We systematically searched databases—PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Springer—for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of rTMS in the treatment of SCA3. Major efficacy outcomes were assessed, including International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) scores, Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) scores, and ICARS subscale scores. Six randomized controlled trials involving 175 patients were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis results indicated statistically significant increases in ICARS (mean difference (MD) =  − 3.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) =  − 7.46 to − 0.30; p = 0.03) and SARA (MD of − 1.59, 95% CI − 2.99 to − 0.19; p = 0.03) scores. No significant heterogeneity was observed across all outcomes (I2 = 0%). Dynamic function within the ICARS scale markedly improved with rTMS (MD =  − 2.19, 95% CI =  − 3.82 to − 0.55; p = 0.009). The majority of the included studies exhibited a low risk of bias, and no severe adverse reactions were noted. Our meta-analysis, consisting of six randomized controlled trials with 175 participants, suggests that rTMS exhibits efficacy in alleviating both ataxic symptoms and certain aspects of motor function in SCA3.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Figures 1 and 5 were created using the RevMan with the authors possessing full authorial rights.

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Acknowledgements

Professor Yanbin Zhang, M.D. is supported by The First People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Lining District, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital Lining Hospital Science and Education Section.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, The First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, China

    Mengqiu Qiu, Yusha Shen, Zhenggang Hu & Yanbin Zhang

  2. Department of Emergency, The First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, China

    Rui Wang

  3. Department of Neurology, The First People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Lining District, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital Lining Hospital, 369 Yingbin Rd, Hangzhou, 311201, China

    Yanbin Zhang

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Contributions

Mengqiu Qiu: Conceptualization (equal); data curation (equal); formal analysis (equal); investigation (equal); methodology (equal); project administration (equal); validation (equal); visualization (equal); writing – original draft (equal); writing – review and editing (equal).

Rui Wang: Data curation (equal); formal analysis (equal); investigation (equal); methodology (equal); project administration (equal); validation (equal); visualization (equal); writing – review and editing (equal).

Yusha Shen: Data curation (equal); validation (equal).

Zhenggang Hu: Data curation (equal); validation (equal).

Yanbin Zhang: Conceptualization (equal); formal analysis (equal); funding cquisition (equal); methodology (equal); project administration (equal); resources (equal); supervision (equal); writing – review and editing (equal).

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Correspondence to Yanbin Zhang.

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Qiu, M., Wang, R., Shen, Y. et al. Efficacy and Safety of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: a Systematic Review and Meta‑analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Cerebellum (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-023-01628-z

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