The Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease

Medipol Health Group

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alzheimer Disease

Treatments: Device: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Drug: Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors; Other: Aerobic Exercise; Drug: Memantine

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05102045

Alzheimer.rTMS.fMRI

Details and patient eligibility

About

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high-frequency repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD).

Methods: Twenty-seven AD patients aged ≥60 years were included in the study and divided into 3 groups (rTMS, Aerobic Exercise (AE) and control). All groups received pharmacological treatment. rTMS group (n=10) received 20 Hz rTMS treatment on bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 5 days a week over 2 weeks, and AE group (n=10) received the moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 50 min sessions, 5 days a week over 2 weeks. Control group (n=10) was only treated pharmacologically. Neuropsychiatric and behavioral status, cognition, balance, functional mobility, and quality of life, and functional brain changes were evaluated before and after the treatment.

Enrollment: 27 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• having clinical AD diagnosis according to the NINCDS-ADRDA (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association) criteria
• being 60 years and older
• having Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) scores 1 or 2
• living independently

Exclusion criteria

• not being able to walk independently,
• having physical disabilities,
• having a history of alcohol / substance abuse,
• having head trauma
• having epileptic seizures

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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27 participants in 3 patient groups

TMS group

Experimental group

Description:

In the TMS group (n=10) rTMS was applied to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) at 20 Hz, for 5 consecutive days per week for over 2 weeks (totally 10 sessions) in addition to the pharmacological treatment.

Treatment:

Device: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Drug: Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Drug: Memantine

AE group

Experimental group

Description:

AE group (n=9) received a moderate- intensity aerobic exercise program lasting 50 minutes per session, 5 consecutive days per week for over 2 weeks (totally 10 sessions) in addition to the pharmacological treatment.

Treatment:

Other: Aerobic Exercise

Drug: Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Drug: Memantine

Control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

No additional intervention was given to the patients in the control group (n=8) and participants were only treated pharmacologically.

Treatment:

Drug: Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Drug: Memantine