Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36125835›Full record

ArticleCurrent Alzheimer research2022

High Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves Cognitive Performance Parameters in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease - An Exploratory Pilot Study.

Friedrich Leblhuber, Simon Geisler, Daniela Ehrlich, Kostja Steiner, Katharina Kurz, Dietmar Fuchs

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In one paragraph

Article in Current Alzheimer research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 29% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Review
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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Friedrich LeblhuberDepartment of Gerontology, Kepler University Clinic, Linz, Austria.
Simon GeislerInstitute of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Daniela EhrlichDepartment of Gerontology, Kepler University Clinic, Linz, Austria.
Kostja SteinerDepartment of Gerontology, Kepler University Clinic, Linz, Austria.
Katharina KurzDepartment of Internal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Dietmar FuchsInstitute of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Innsbruck Medical University · ATKepler Universitätsklinikum · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrently available medication for Alzheimer's disease (AD) slows cognitive decline only temporarily but has failed to bring about long term positive effects. For this slowly progressive neurodegenerative disease, so far, no disease modifying therapy exists.

objectiveThe study aims to find out if non-pharmacologic non-invasive neuromodulatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may offer a new alternative or an add on therapeutic strategy against loss of cognitive functions.

methodsIn this exploratory intervention study, safety and symptom development before and after frontopolar cortex stimulation (FPC) using intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) at 10 subsequent working days was monitored as add-on treatment in 28 consecutive patients with AD. Out of these, 10 randomly selected patients received sham stimulation as a control. Serum concentrations of neurotransmitter precursor amino acids, immune activation and inflammation markers, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and nitrite were measured.

resultsTreatment was well tolerated, and no serious adverse effects were observed. Improvement of cognition was detected by an increase in Mini Mental State Examination score (MMSE; p<0.01, paired rank test) and also by an increase in a modified repeat address phrase test, part of the 6-item cognitive impairment test (p<0.01). A trend to increase the clock drawing test (CDT; p = 0.08) was also found in the verum treated group. Furtheron, in 10 of the AD patients with additional symptoms of depression treated with iTBS, a significant decrease in the HAMD-7 scale (p<0.01) and a trend to lower serum phenylalanine concentrations (p = 0.08) was seen. No changes in the parameters tested were found in the sham treated patients.

conclusionOur preliminary results may indicate that iTBS is effective in the treatment of AD. Also a slight influence of iTBS on the metabolism of phenylalanine was found after 10 iTBS sessions. An impact of iTBS to influence the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), as found in the previous series of treatment resistant depression, could not be seen in our first observational trial in 10 AD patients with comorbidity of depression. Longer treatment periods for several weeks in a higher number of AD patients with depression could cause more intense and disease modifying effects visible in different neurotransmitter concentrations important in the pathogenesis of AD.

Indexed as

agingAlzheimer’s diseasecognitive performance.concomitant depressionintermittent theta burst stimulationmemory impairmentneurodegenerative diseasenon-invasive brain stimulation

Identifiers

PMID36125835
OpenAlexW4296788436

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.