The role of transcranial magnetic stimulation in acute Bell's palsy

This review discusses the reported data in studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in acute Bell's palsy (BP). These studies displayed the role of TMS in confirming the diagnosis and providing prognostic information about outcome of acute unilateral BP. In summary, two TMS roles have been discussed in these reviewed studies when employing TMS in patients with BP: firstt, the role of TMS as a diagnostic tool for BP when a lesion is of peripheral and lower motor in nature either applied over the ipsilateral parieto-occipital region (canalicular stimulation) or over the contralateral facial area of the motor cortex (cortical stimulation), and the second role of TMS is providing data about its prognostic value in recovery and BP outcome. The overall TMS studies are valuable in prognosis of BP regarding recovery and sequelae.