Active AM-kTMP, delivered as part of a NIBS-training protocol, produced improvements on clinical scales of ataxia alongside enhanced gait stability, with no device-related adverse reactions, representing a promising NIBS intervention for cerebellar disorders.
Key Findings
Results
AM-kTMP targeted to vermal and paravermal cerebellar regions produced improvements on clinical scales of ataxia in a 78-year-old patient with cerebellar ataxia following hemorrhagic stroke.
The patient was 78 years old with cerebellar ataxia following hemorrhagic stroke.
The stimulation was targeted to vermal and paravermal cerebellar regions.
The study used amplitude-modulated kTMP (AM-kTMP) as the stimulation modality.
The design involved an open-label phase followed by a fixed-sequence sham-active comparison.
This was a case study (single patient, n=1).
Results
Active AM-kTMP delivered as part of a NIBS-training protocol produced enhanced gait stability in the patient.
Gait stability improvements were observed alongside improvements on clinical scales of ataxia.
The protocol combined NIBS with a training component.
The fixed-sequence sham-active comparison design allowed comparison between sham and active stimulation conditions.
This was a single-subject case study.
Results
No device-related adverse reactions were observed with AM-kTMP stimulation.
kTMP is described as a novel subthreshold non-invasive brain stimulation method.
It delivers strong, subthreshold electric fields to the cerebellar cortex without discomfort.
No adverse reactions attributable to the device were reported in this patient.
The absence of adverse events supports the safety profile of kTMP for cerebellar applications.
Background
Kilohertz transcranial magnetic perturbation (kTMP) is a novel subthreshold NIBS method capable of delivering strong electric fields to the cerebellar cortex without discomfort.
kTMP operates at kilohertz frequencies and is described as subthreshold, meaning it does not directly evoke neural firing.
The method is noted to deliver strong electric fields specifically to the cerebellar cortex.
The technique is distinguished by patient comfort, with no discomfort reported.
kTMP is presented as an advancement over existing NIBS methods for targeting cerebellar structures.
Background
Cerebellar ataxia results in debilitating impairments in balance, gait, and cognition, with no established effective treatments.
Cerebellar ataxia impacts multiple domains including balance, gait, and cognition.
The authors characterize existing treatment options as lacking established efficacy.
This treatment gap motivates the investigation of novel NIBS approaches such as kTMP.
The patient population studied involves post-stroke cerebellar ataxia, specifically following hemorrhagic stroke.
What This Means
This research presents a case study of a 78-year-old patient who suffered a bleeding stroke affecting the cerebellum, resulting in cerebellar ataxia — a condition causing severe problems with balance, walking, and thinking. The patient received a novel type of brain stimulation called kilohertz transcranial magnetic perturbation (kTMP), which uses magnetic fields to generate electrical fields in the brain at very high frequencies, but at levels below what would directly trigger nerve firing. The stimulation was aimed at specific regions of the cerebellum involved in movement coordination, and it was combined with physical training. The study compared periods of real stimulation against sham (fake) stimulation.
The findings suggest that real AM-kTMP stimulation, when combined with training, led to measurable improvements in standard clinical tests of ataxia severity and in the stability of the patient's walking. Importantly, no negative side effects related to the device were reported, and the treatment was well-tolerated. The study's design — first an open phase and then a direct sham-versus-active comparison — adds some structure to the observations despite involving only one patient.
This research suggests that kTMP may offer a safe and potentially effective approach to treating cerebellar ataxia, a condition for which no well-established treatments currently exist. Because this is a single case study, conclusions must be interpreted cautiously and cannot be generalized broadly. However, the results support further investigation of kTMP in larger clinical trials targeting people with cerebellar disorders.
Chirino-Pérez A, Merrick C, Miranda-Casasola F, Labruna L, Sheltraw D, Ivry R. (2026). Motor Improvements Following Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation with kTMP: A Case Study of Cerebellar Stroke.. Cerebellum (London, England). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-026-02078-z