Background: Drug therapy of atypical parkinsonism is generally ineffective or minimal, and novel therapy approaches for atypical parkinsonian disorders are needed. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive tool that modulates cortical excitability and holds promise in treating neurological/psychiatric disorders. The 'motor' basal ganglia-cortical circuit is implicated in parkinsonian akinesia and hypokinesia; a 'prefrontal' circuit is implicated in working memory (WM) and mood regulation, possibly linked to depression and apathy.