Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Is an Important Tools Improve Visual Attention of Iskemik Stroke Patient

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, with post-stroke cognitive impairments such as reduced visual attention often hindering rehabilitation and recovery. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive neuromodulation method to restore cognitive functions through stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of TMS in improving visual attention in patients with ischemic stroke. A double-blind randomized controlled trial with a pre-post test design and control group was conducted at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital to minimize observation bias and increase the validity of the findings. Most participants were male (64.7%), aged 61–65 years (44.1%), high school educated (52.9%), formally employed (64.7%), with hypertension as the most common comorbidity (64.7%) and the right corona radiata as the most frequent lesion site (14.7%). Visual attention test results showed varying changes between groups. In commission errors, the control group improved while the TMS group worsened, though not significantly (p=0.445). In omission errors, a non-significant reduction was observed in the TMS group (p=0.056). However, the total score demonstrated a significant difference (p=0.018), with a greater decrease in the TMS group (Δ mean -15.2) compared to the control group (Δ mean -7.65). These findings indicate the potential of TMS to modulate visual attention in ischemic stroke patients, particularly reflected in overall test performance.