Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation does not replicate the Wada test

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 55; no. 7; pp. 1025 - 1027
• Main Authors: EPSTEIN, C. M, WOODARD, J. L, STRINGER, A. Y, BAKAY, R. A. E, HENRY, T. R, PENNELL, P. B, LITT, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 10-10-2000
• Subjects: Amobarbital; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain - physiopathology; Epilepsy - diagnosis; Epilepsy - physiopathology; Functional Laterality - physiology; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Speech Disorders - diagnosis; Speech Disorders - physiopathology; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Human; Nervous system diseases; Epilepsy; Exploration; Stimulation; Cerebral disorder; Transcranial route; Magnetic; Language; Central nervous system disease; Technique; Barbiturates; Laterality; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/WNL.55.7.1025

The authors compared inferior frontal speech arrest from repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with bilateral Wada tests in 17 epilepsy surgery candidates. Although rTMS lateralization correlated with the Wada test in most subjects, rTMS also favored the right hemisphere at a rate significantly greater than the Wada test. Postoperative language deficits were more consistent with Wada results. Available methods for inducing speech arrest with rTMS do not replicate the results of Wada tests.