Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32925060›Full record

Trial reportJournal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD2020

Neuromodulation for Apathy in Alzheimer's Disease: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Pilot Study.

Prasad R Padala, Eugenia M Boozer, Shelly Y Lensing, Christopher M Parkes, Cassandra R Hunter, Richard A Dennis, Ricardo Caceda, Kalpana P Padala

Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03590327 (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Apathy in Mild Cognitive Impairment), which is not on this map. Cited by 34 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03590327 nacompletednot on this map

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Apathy in Mild Cognitive Impairment

TypeinterventionalSponsorVA Office of Research and DevelopmentRan2018 to 2024Enrolled103ConditionsApathy, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, LonelinessArmsTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Systematic review and meta-analysis of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for activities of daily living in Alzheimer's disease.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Pooled it
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  17. Enhancing working memory in MCI: Modulating alpha-gamma coupling and gamma oscillations via rTMS.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Prasad R PadalaGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA.
Eugenia M BoozerGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA.
Shelly Y LensingGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA.
Christopher M ParkesGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA.
Cassandra R HunterGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA.
Richard A DennisGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA.
Ricardo CacedaDepartment of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Kalpana P PadalaGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA.
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System · USStony Brook University Hospital · US

Funding

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Apathy in Mild Cognitive ImpairmentI01RX002638 · VA · CENTRAL ARKANSAS VETERANS HLTHCARE SYS · PI PADALA, PRASAD R. · 2019 to 2024
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Neuromodulation for Exercise Adherence in Older VeteransI01RX002961 · VA · CENTRAL ARKANSAS VETERANS HLTHCARE SYS · PI PADALA, KALPANA P. · 2019 to 2024
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RRD VA I01 RX002638RRD VA I01 RX002961
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundApathy, a profound loss of motivation, initiation, and goal directed cognition, is a common comorbidity of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The presence of apathy is associated with rapid progression of AD, long-term impairment, disability, and higher mortality. Pharmacological treatments of apathy are limited.

objectiveThe primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for apathy in AD.

methodsA randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm, sham-controlled pilot study was conducted in subjects with AD and apathy (N = 20). Subjects were randomized to rTMS or sham treatment (5 days/week) for four weeks. Primary outcome, apathy evaluation scale-clinician version (AES-C), and secondary outcome measures, modified-Mini Mental State Examination (3MS), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and clinical global impression (CGI), were assessed at baseline and four weeks. Follow-up visits were conducted at 8 and 12 weeks to test the durability of effects of intervention.

resultsMean age was 77.3 (±7.2) years, 80% were Caucasians and 10% were females. After adjusting for baseline, there was a significantly greater improvement in the AES-C with rTMS compared to sham treatment (-10.1 (-15.9 to -4.3); t (16)  = -3.69; p = 0.002) at 4 weeks. There was also significantly greater improvement in 3MS (6.9 (1.7 to 12.0); t (15)  = 2.85; p = 0.012), IADL (3.4 (1.0 to 5.9); χ21 = 7.72; p = 0.006), CGI-S (1.4 (0.5 to 2.3), t (16)  = 3.29; p = 0.005), and CGI-I (-2.56 (-3.5 to -1.6), t (17)  = -5.72; p < 0.001) for rTMS compared to the sham at 4 weeks. The effects of rTMS were durable at 12 weeks.

conclusionrTMS may be safely used in subjects with AD and may improve apathy, function, and some aspects of cognition.

Indexed as

ApathyAgedAged, 80 and overAlzheimer DiseaseDouble-Blind MethodFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMalePilot ProjectsProspective StudiesTranscranial Magnetic StimulationAlzheimer’s diseaseapathybehavioral problems in dementiarepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Identifiers

PMID32925060
PMCPMC7683089
OpenAlexW3083888882

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.