Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40530618›Full record

ReviewAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2025

The neurobiological foundation of effective repetitive transcranial magnetic brain stimulation in Alzheimer's disease.

Annibale Antonioni, Alessandro Martorana, Emiliano Santarnecchi, Harald Hampel, Giacomo Koch

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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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

5 authors.

Annibale AntonioniDepartment of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Alessandro MartoranaMemory Clinic, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Emiliano SantarnecchiGordon Center for Medical Imaging, Mass General Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Harald HampelSorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 47-83 Bd de l'Hôpital, Paris, France.
Giacomo KochDepartment of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6155-9439

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), are promising candidate therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We review the evidence supporting the fundamental mechanisms of action of rTMS treatments in AD. rTMS exerts profound effects at different neurobiological and systems neurophysiological levels. By engaging distinct pre- and postsynaptic structures within the stimulated neural network, it directly or indirectly influences various cellular and molecular components. In AD, rTMS influences synaptic plasticity, inducing lasting structural changes and broad reorganization of functional and structural connectivity at the macroscale level. Importantly, it modulates neurotransmitter circuits characteristically disrupted in AD and restores the excitation/inhibition balance by targeting glutamatergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic pathways. Moreover, rTMS increases neurotrophic factors, counteracts amyloid and tau accumulation, and mitigates neuroinflammation by reducing microglial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines release. Therefore, maturing preclinical evidence could guide future precision medicine therapeutic strategies based on personalized NIBS in AD patients. HIGHLIGHTS: Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), are promising candidate therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease (AD). rTMS modulates neuroplasticity, neurotransmission, and neuroinflammation. Preclinical research shows disease-specific neurobiological effects of rTMS in AD. Promising data from AD patients suggest the translatability of animal model results. Preclinical data may guide precision medicine strategies through personalized NIBS.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseBrainTranscranial Magnetic StimulationHumansNeuronal PlasticityAlzheimer's disease (AD)animal modelsnoninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS)pathological cascadeplasticitypreclinical researchrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Identifiers

PMID40530618
PMCPMC12175030

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.