Effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for insomnia: a protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation approach, might be a promising technique in the management of insomnia. A systematic review of the available literature on this topic is warranted. The systematic review described in this protocol aims to investigate the efficacy of rTMS as a physical therapy in patients with insomnia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. We will retrieve relevant literatures across the following electronic bibliographic databases: CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, PEDro, CBM, CNKI, WANFANG and VIP. A manual search of the reference lists of all relevant articles will be performed for any additional studies. We will include randomised controlled trials published in English and Chinese examining efficacy of rTMS on patients with insomnia. Two reviewers will independently complete the article selection, data extraction and rating. PEDro scale will be used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Narrative and quantitative synthesis will be done accordingly. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval will not be required for this review. The results of this review will be disseminated in a peer-review journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018115033.