Table 1.
Comparison of rTMS protocols for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Paper title | Number of participants | Depression | Participant age (Mean ± SD) | Level of dementia (AD) | Stimulation site | Frequency | Intensity | Length of trial |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on action naming in patients With Alzheimer's disease [9] | 15 |
Excluded | 76.6 ± 6 | Mild-moderate cognitive decline, probable AD | Right and left DLPFC, sham | 20 Hz | 90% | |
| ||||||||
Transcranial magnetic stimulation improves naming in Alzheimer's disease patients at different stages of cognitive decline [10] | 24 |
Excluded | Moderate-severe AD: 77.6 ± 5.8 Mild AD: 75 ± 6.2 |
12 moderate-severe AD, 12 mild AD | Right and left DLPFC, sham | 20 Hz | 90% | |
| ||||||||
Improved language performance in Alzheimer's disease following brain stimulation [11] | 10 (5 real-real stimulation, 5 placebo-real stimulation) |
Excluded | 74.4 ± 3.8 | Probable moderate AD | Left DLPFC | 20 Hz | 100% | 2 weeks (5/week) real or placebo, followed by 2 weeks all real |
| ||||||||
Beneficial effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with cognitive training for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a proof of concept study [13] | 8 |
6/8 had history of depression | 75.4 ± 4.4 | Probable early-moderate AD (Clinical Dementia Rating of 1) | 6 regions (3 per day, every other day) (i) Broca, Wernicke and right DLPFC (ii) left DLPFC and right and left parietal somatosensory association cortex (pSAC) |
10 Hz | 90% for Broca and DLPFC, 110% for Wernicke and pSAC | 6 weeks (5/week), followed by maintenance (2/week) for 3 months |
| ||||||||
Effects of low versus high frequencies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional excitability in Alzheimer's dementia [12] | 45 (15 HF stimulation, 15 LF stimulation, 15 sham stimulation) |
Depression not excluded. Assessment of patient depression improved with rTMS. | 68.4 (SD not specified) |
32 probable mild-moderate AD, 13 probable severe AD | Right and left DLPFC (right, then left hemisphere consecutively stimulated) | HF: 20 Hz LF: 1 Hz |
HF: 90% LF: 100% |
5 days |