5. Limitations and Further Perspectives
stroke, aphasia, comprehension impairment
STROKE
This study has limitations. The number of patients recruited is constrained, with more male patients than female patients, according to the availability of our medical rehabilitation center. The results of the present study indicate that the use of rTMS has the potential to produce long-lasting benefits. In the future, we would increase the sample size to design a fourth group of rTMS to emphasize the results obtained in the present study. We cannot generalize our conclusion to other stroke patients with aphasia and comprehension impairment because they cannot communicate or comprehend our instructions; future studies must be modified to suit such patients. A significant limitation was that we combined online and offline approaches to ensure the intervention’s dose and fidelity because of the patients’ actual hospitalization cycle. This approach might be biased. However, patients receiving offline treatment may experience greater group support, and some claimed that getting help online was simpler. The outcomes also demonstrated the viability of the online intervention, although further research is required to determine its efficacy.