Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a painless noninvasive brain stimulation technique that used in cortical function in healthy individuals and inter alia, the pathophysiology of movement disorders. Many years, its use has evolved from primarily research purposes to treatment of a large variety of neurological and psychiatric diseases. In this article, we describe the theoretical background to TMS techniques and discuss the uses of TMS as a potential diagnostic tool in movement disorders. We also illustrate the basic principles on which the therapeutic use of transcranial magnetic stimulation is based and review the clinical trials that have been performed in patients with movement disorders.
