Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41013456›Full record

Trial reportJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2025

Enhanced episodic memory and LTP-like plasticity in subjective cognitive decline following 10-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Tianjiao Zhang, Qian Lu, Jie Song, Manyu Dong, Chuan He, Zude Zhu, Han Yang, Yilun Qian, Tong Wang, Hanjun Liu and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. 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

11 authors.

Tianjiao Zhang *Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Qian Lu *Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
Jie Song *Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Manyu DongDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Chuan HeDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
Zude ZhuSchool of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China.
Han YangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Yilun QianDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Tong WangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. wangtong60621@163.com.
Hanjun LiuDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China. lhanjun@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Ying ShenDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. shenying@njmu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China, China No.82372582the Competitive Project of Jiangsu Province's Key Research and Development Program No.BE2023034the Jiangsu Province Hospital clinical diagnosis and treatment of technological innovation "Open bidding for selecting the best candidates" project No.JBGS202414
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSubjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a self-perceived cognitive complaint in the absence of objective impairment, representing an at-risk state along the continuum of cognitive aging. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) has shown cognitive benefits in Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet its effects on cognitive functions in SCD remain largely unexplored.

objectiveTo evaluate the effects of 10-Hz rTMS over the L-DLPFC in individuals with SCD on cognitive functions and long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity, indexed by changes in motor evoked potential (MEP) following intermittent theta burst stimulation, and examine the relationship between brain plasticity and cognitive outcomes.

methodsIn this randomized, sham-controlled trial, 42 individuals with SCD received 20 sessions of either active or sham 10-Hz rTMS (n = 21 per group) over four weeks. The primary outcome was delayed episodic memory, evaluated using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Huashan version (AVLT-H). Secondary outcomes included additional cognitive measures and MEP amplitudes at baseline and at 5 (T

resultsThe rTMS group exhibited significant improvements in both delayed episodic memory (AVLT-N5) and MEP amplitudes at T

conclusionsThese findings provide the first evidence for enhanced delayed episodic memory and LTP-like plasticity in individuals with SCD following 10-Hz rTMS over the L-DLPFC, suggesting a potential role of LTP-like plasticity in elucidating the neurophysiological correlates of cognitive improvements for SCD.

trial registrationThe study design and analysis plan were preregistered on September 7th, 2023 at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR2300075517).

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionDorsolateral Prefrontal CortexLong-Term PotentiationMemory, EpisodicTranscranial Magnetic StimulationAgedEvoked Potentials, MotorFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuronal PlasticityDorsolateral prefrontal cortexEpisodic memoryLong-term potentiation-like plasticityRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationSubjective cognitive decline

Identifiers

PMID41013456
PMCPMC12465322

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.