A double-blind crossover study has found that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) significantly improves processing speed in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), offering a potential therapeutic option for managing cognitive symptoms associated with the disease.

The study included 29 participants with varying forms of MS, ranging in age from 29 to 68 years, and with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores between 0 and 6.5. Each participant underwent 2 treatment phases: one with active TMS and one with sham TMS, combined with simple physical activities such as gait and balance training.

Active TMS was applied over the primary motor cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex using high-frequency protocols. After 10 consecutive working days of stimulation, the Five Digit Test (FDT) was used to evaluate changes in processing speed.

Results showed that 66.1% of participants receiving active TMS combined with physical activities demonstrated improved processing speed, compared to only 34.5% in the sham TMS group. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.0355). Among those who improved in the active TMS group, the average gain in processing speed was 18.4%.

“TMS appears to be an important resource for treating the processing speed of people with MS,” the authors concluded. “This result may encourage further research.”

The findings suggest that TMS may offer a non-invasive method to target cognitive symptoms in MS, particularly processing speed, which is a commonly affected domain in this population. The statistically significant improvement with active stimulation supports the integration of TMS into clinical strategies for MS cognitive rehabilitation.

Reference
Bando M O, Sanjuan M, Dias A E, et al. Efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation on processing speed in people with multiple sclerosis. Presented at: CMSC 2025; May 28-31; Phoenix, AZ.