scholarly journals Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 949
Author(s):  
Athina-Maria Aloizou ◽  
Georgia Pateraki ◽  
Konstantinos Anargyros ◽  
Vasileios Siokas ◽  
Christos Bakirtzis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Lewy Body Dementia ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Central Position ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

Dementia is a debilitating impairment of cognitive functions that affects millions of people worldwide. There are several diseases belonging to the dementia spectrum, most prominently Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD), Lewy body dementia (LBD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a safe, non-invasive form of brain stimulation that utilizes a magnetic coil to generate an electrical field and induce numerous changes in the brain. It is considered efficacious for the treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders. In this paper, we review the available studies involving rTMS in the treatment of these dementia types. The majority of studies have involved AD and shown beneficial effects, either as a standalone, or as an add-on to standard-of-care pharmacological treatment and cognitive training. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex seems to hold a central position in the applied protocols, but several parameters still need to be defined. In addition, rTMS has shown potential in mild cognitive impairment as well. Regarding the remaining dementias, research is still at preliminary phases, and large, randomized studies are currently lacking.

An overview of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in Alzheimer’s disease

Salud Mental ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 171-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Alcalá Lozano ◽  
◽  
Erik Daniel Morelos Santana ◽  
Orely Osorio Rojas ◽  
Jorge Julio González
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Cognitive Rehabilitation ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Behavioral And Psychological Symptoms

Background. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent neurocognitive disorder. It affects 50% to 75% of the cases of dementia, and is characterized by a progressive cognitive decline that hinders behavior and functionality. Its etiology is still uncertain, and the efficiency of treatments is limited. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used as an alternative therapeutic strategy, but the clinical impact on Alzheimer’s disease has hardly been studied. Objective. To describe the effects of rTMS on cognition, the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and functionality, considering the various modes of application. Method. The PubMed, ScienceDirect, and PsycInfo databases were consulted using key words relating to the topic of study. Articles published between 2006 and 2016 were selected. Results. The studies that have assessed the clinical effect of rTMS have used various parameters to stimulate and compare the different cortical areas, principally the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. A variety of benefits have been proposed for patients with Alzheimer’s disease in cognitive domains such as language and episodic memory, as well as behavior and functionality in everyday activities. Discussion and conclusion. rTMS has been suggested as a possible treatment for AD, and the results indicate the need for further studies with different methodological designs and more participants, in addition to cognitive rehabilitation techniques. The objective is to identify the most efficient parameters for stimulation and to explore new cortical targets.

scholarly journals Administration of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Attenuates Aβ1-42-Induced Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice by Activating β-Catenin Signaling

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyun Chen ◽  
Shu Chen ◽  
Weidi Liang ◽  
Fang Ba
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Water Maze ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Histological Staining ◽  
Neuron Apoptosis

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive and painless technique that has been applied for the treatments of diverse neurodegenerative disorders. In the current study, its anti-Alzheimer’s disease (AD) effect was assessed and the mechanism driving the effect was explored. The AD symptoms were induced via the intracranial injection of Aβ1-42 in mice and then treated with rTMS of 1 Hz or 10 Hz. The anti-AD effect of rTMS was assessed by Morris water maze (MWM), histological staining and western blotting. The results showed that rTMS administrations of both frequencies improved the cognitive function and suppressed neuron apoptosis in AD mice. Moreover, the treatment also increased the brain BDNF, NGF, and doublecortin levels, which represented the increased viability of neurons by rTMS. The injection of Aβ1-42 also increased the expressions of p-GSK-3β, p-Tau, and p-β-catenin and suppressed the level of total β-catenin. After the treatments of rTMS, the level of β-catenin was restored, indicating the activation of β-catenin signaling. In conclusion, the findings outlined in the current study demonstrated that the anti-AD effect of rTMS was associated with the activation of β-catenin, which would promote the survival of neurons.

scholarly journals Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation over Prefrontal Cortex on Attention in Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Hauer ◽  
Johann Sellner ◽  
Francesco Brigo ◽  
Eugen Trinka ◽  
Luca Sebastianelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be effective for enhancing cognitive functioning. In this review, we aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of rTMS on attention in psychiatric diseases. In particular, we searched PubMed and Embase to examine the effectiveness of rTMS administered to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on this specific cognitive domain. The search identified 24 articles, 21 of which met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among them, nine were conducted in patients with depression, four in patients with schizophrenia, three in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), two in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, one each in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and in patients with alcohol or methamphetamine addiction. No evidence for cognitive adverse effects was found in all the included rTMS studies. Several studies showed a significant improvement of attentional function in patients with depression and schizophrenia. The beneficial effects on attention and other executive functions suggest that rTMS has the potential to target core features of ASD. rTMS may influence the attentional networks in alcohol-dependent and other addicted patients. We also reviewed and discussed the studies assessing the effects of rTMS on attention in the healthy population. This review suggests that prefrontal rTMS could exert procognitive effects on attention in patients with many psychiatric disorders.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document