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. 2013 Feb 7;2013:679389. doi: 10.1155/2013/679389

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