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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

NCT03121066 · Status: UNKNOWN · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 45

Last updated 2022-11-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background: Alzheimer's disease is a major health problem in our society. To date, pharmacological treatments to reduce Alzheimer's disease symptoms have obtained poor results and there is a growing interest in finding non-pharmacological treatments for this impactful disease. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a non-invasive tool which can induce changes in brain activity and long term modifications of impaired neural networks, and therefore holds promise as a clinical intervention.

Our overall goal is to study the benefit of targeting Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation based on the individual's unique functional connectivity (personalized targeting) instead of current non-individualized approaches. Specifically, the intermittent Theta Burst protocol will be used and changes in cognitive, functional, and emotional deficits in these patients will be evaluated. Functional brain connectivity changes induced by the TMS treatment will be also assessed.

Methods: A double blind randomized controlled trial will be conducted to assess the effects of TMS treatment immediately, one month, three months and six months after the end of the treatment in comparison to the baseline measurements. Forty-five patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, will be randomly allocated (1:1:1) into experimental (active Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), sham control group, or conventional intervention control group. Neuropsychological, functional, and emotional assessment will be conducted, as well as functional connectivity measures, in order to assess the effectiveness of the treatment.

Discussion: The investigators expect to demonstrate that personalized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation intervention has measurable positive impact in cognitive and emotional functioning, functionality, and brain connectivity, thus representing a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Conditions

  • Alzheimer Disease

Interventions

DEVICE

Active Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

The intervention consists of a 2-week treatment during which TMS will be applied for 10 days (every working day). The stimulation protocol will be intermittent TBS (iTBS). 600 pulses in each area will be applied at intervals of 2 seconds of stimulation and 8 seconds of rest; the total number of pulses per session will be 1200. The stimulation duration is 3 minutes and 12 seconds. This protocol allows the induction of long-term potentiation effects, promoting plasticity in the stimulated areas. To perform the stimulation a 70 mm, figure of 8-coil will be used. In order to precisely locate the stimulated areas a stereotactic image guidance will be used during the stimulation (Brainsight™ 2)

DEVICE

Sham Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

The Sham intervention will be carried out using the same stimulation protocol as in the active condition but with the coil rotated 90º to prevent the magnetic field inducing electrical activity in the cortex.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa

    collaborator OTHER

  • Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
60 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-11-30
Primary Completion
2024-09-30
Completion
2024-12-31

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03121066 on ClinicalTrials.gov