Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Aphasia Rehabilitation

Behavioral therapy techniques applied to patients with aphasia have recently been augmented with or replaced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This chapter reviews recent studies employing rTMS as a therapeutic technique for patients with aphasia. More specifically, it focuses on issues concerning the effectiveness of the rTMS technique, including the stimulation parameters as well as the combined use of rTMS with speech and language therapy. Furthermore, it discusses improvements in specific language domains following intervention with rTMS. In addition, it briefly discusses the effectiveness of theta-burst stimulation (TBS), a type of rTMS. Finally, it raises issues concerning methodological limitations of the current rTMS studies on aphasia rehabilitation.