Feasibility and Tolerability of Controllable Pulse Parameter Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients with Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: A Case Series Study

This case series highlights the feasibility and tolerability of using controllable pulse parameter Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (cTMS) in individuals with painful diabetic neuropathy (pDN). cTMS delivers repetitive monophasic pulses, which allows for greater and longer lasting effects compared to traditional repetitive TMS (rTMS). All participants (N = 2) tolerated 10 sessions of cTMS over a two-week period (five days per week) with no discomfort from the stimulation. They reported no pain from the stimulation despite their heightened pain sensitivity as a result of pDN. The cTMS intervention improved their pain and quality of life as determined through questionnaires evaluating pain, depression, anxiety, and other related measures. Notably, cTMS has never been evaluated in diabetic neuropathy, and our data suggest that it is feasible and tolerable in this clinical population. It further proposes a potential therapeutic treatment option for individuals with pDN.