Retrospective evaluation of transcranial magnetic stimulation for enhancing arousal in patients with minimally conscious state: a single-centre study in Inner Mongolia, China

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effect of high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeting multiple brain regions on the recovery of consciousness in patients with minimally conscious state (MCS).MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on MCS patients between August 2022 and March 2024. Some patients received only conventional rehabilitation treatment, while others received additional TMS therapy. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) at three time points: before treatment (T0), two weeks post-treatment (T1), and one month post-treatment (T2). Additional assessments included electroencephalogram (EEG), brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE).ResultsA total of 30 patients were included and divided equally into two groups. The GCS and CRS-R scores of the 15 patients who received TMS therapy demonstrated significant improvements at T1 and T2. Furthermore, these patients exhibited significant enhancements in EEG and BAEP grading at T1.ConclusionThe findings suggest that adjunctive multi-target high-frequency repetitive TMS may promote recovery of consciousness in MCS patients. These results underscore the potential of repetitive TMS as a therapeutic intervention for MCS and warrant further investigation in future studies.