2.4. Intervention
CORTEX
In the HF-rTMS + ML group, high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and motor learning were combined, and in the sham rTMS + ML group, sham rTMS and motor learning were combined. The intervention method of the HF-rTMS combined with motor learning group was HF-rTMS stimulated a 70-mm, 8-shaped coil stimulator of the Magstim Company (Whitland, UK) on the damaged cerebral cortex. Prior to the application of HF-rTMS, the motor point that stimulated the maximum thresholds on the primary motor cortex, causing flexion of the oppositely affected index finger, was identified. If the cerebral hemisphere did not show a kinetic response, even at the maximum stimulus, the motor point of the opposite hemisphere changed symmetrically. The intensity of the stimulus was 80% of the resting motor threshold, which means that the motor-evoked potential above the first dorsal interosseous muscle can produce 50 μV (more than 5 out of 10 stimuli). Participants sat on a chair holding their heads. Stimulation was conducted at a high frequency (10 Hz) for 2 s, and the rest was conducted for 58 s for a total of 200 times for 10 min on the affected hemisphere [Motor learning was conducted for 2 min each over five rounds (In the sham rTMS + ML group, sham rTMS provided a small intensity of 2% of the resting motor threshold that could not cause excitement in the motor cortex but was set to the same frequency of noise as the HF-rTMS, and motor learning was applied equally. The intervention was conducted for 20 min (10 min of sham HF-rTMS and 10 min of motor learning) three times a week for 4 weeks [