Footnotes

• JYL and LX contributed equally.

• Contributors JYL performed ECP treatment and TMS measurement for all participants. LX analysed the data and wrote the manuscript. CMS helped design the project and revise the manuscript. HL and TWL helped recruit participants. KSLW conceived and designed the project.

• Funding This study was supported in part by the Lui Chi Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine, SH Ho Center for Cardiovascular Disease & Stroke.

• Competing interests None declared.

• Patient consent Obtained.

• Ethics approval This study was approved by the local medical ethics committee (Joint CUHK-NTEC Clinical Research Ethics Committee).

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.