Enhancement of Hippocampal Plasticity Using Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Device
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

The ultimate goal of this study is to develop non-invasive, painless repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocols to prevent cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal individuals at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Currently, 1 in 9 adults over the age of 65 have AD, which currently totals more than 5 million Americans and this number is expected to rise as high as 16 million by 2050. MCI is a clinical syndrome that represents the gray area between healthy aging and dementia. Those with amnestic MCI (aMCI) have memory problems more severe than normal for their age and education, but their symptoms are not as severe as those of people with AD. Patients with aMCI are at high risk for AD. Notably, roughly half of those with MCI will continue to progress and convert to clinical dementia within 3 years. Alternatively, it is also worthwhile to study cognitively healthy older adults who carry genes that may increase the risk of AD. The frequency of the human APOE gene ε4 allele increases in patients with AD and the ε4 allele is also associated with an earlier age of disease onset. Currently, there are no known therapies that can effectively modify the progression and hallmark symptoms of AD. Therefore, it is crucial to provide an early intervention in patients with aMCI to delay or prevent the progression to AD. More specifically, this project has two specific aims: 1. To plan personalized non-invasive brain stimulation location by brain Imaging with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) 2. To identify potential personalized cognitive enhancement strategy (such as dosage or patterns) of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in MCI. Techniques to artificially and precisely stimulate brain tissue are increasingly recognized as valuable tools both in clinical practice and in cognitive neuroscience studies among healthy individuals and people with clinical conditions. With these practices, researchers can safely stimulate specific regions of the brain to explore causal relationships that comprise the brain's circuitry and modulate behavior.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 50
Maximum Age: 80
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Age 50-80 years

• MCI clinical criteria: (a) self- or informant-reported cognitive complaint; (b) preserved independence in functional abilities; and (c) absence of dementia.

• Objective cognitive impairment supported by the following measures of general cognitive function: (a) Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) 24-27 (inclusive); (b) Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) 18-26 (inclusive); or (c) Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score of 0.5.

• Right handed

• English speaking

• Able to attend daily intervention (Monday-Friday) for 4 weeks

• Not enrolled in another interventional study within 6 months prior to beginning this study

Locations
United States
Arizona
Bioscience Research Laboratory
RECRUITING
Tucson
Contact Information
Primary
Yu-Chin Chen, M.D.
tms-lab@list.arizona.edu
520-626-7755
Backup
Ying-hui Chou, Sc.D.
tms-lab@list.arizona.edu
520-626-7755
Time Frame
Start Date: 2020-10-21
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-06-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 60
Treatments
Experimental: Excitatory TBS
Excitatory TBS
Experimental: Inhibitory TBS
Inhibitory TBS
Placebo_comparator: Sham TBS
Sham TBS
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Collaborators: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Leads: University of Arizona

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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