Targeted Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Hippocampal-dependent Declarative Memory Abilities

Summary

This is a pilot study of non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to improve memory in healthy adults. It will also examine treating memory deficits in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a condition that frequently precedes Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study will test whether a form of non-invasive brain stimulation repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can improve memory abilities in healthy young adults, healthy older adults, and older adults with aMCI by retuning memory-related brain networks. This study is a key first step which will support the long-term goal of treating memory deficits in neurological patients. It is expected that rTMS will improve memory abilities in all participants, and that the improvements in memory will be attributable to changes in the connectivity of memory-related brain networks.

Interventions

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation · DEVICE

  Transcranial magnetic stimulation non-invasively applies very small amounts of electrical current to brain tissue; sham stimulation uses the same approach but applies little or no actual stimulation to the brain by using less power or greater distance between the head and the stimulator.

Published eligibility criteria

Verbatim from the registry. Only the site can decide how these apply to a specific patient.

The investigators anticipate enrolling 48 subjects total:

* 16 healthy young adults (age 19-35)
* 16 healthy older adults (demographically matched to aMCI group for age, sex, and educational attainment)
* 16 older adults diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI)

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults 19 years of age and older
2. Healthy adults without history of psychiatric or neurological disease OR previous diagnosis of amnestic MCI
3. Must be able to provide informed consent
4. Must have the ability to comply with basic instructions and have the ability to sit comfortably still for TMS, neuroimaging, and other study procedures.
5. Right-handed based on self-report (pre-screening) and evaluation with a standard test.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Individuals who have ferrous metal implanted in their body (other than in their teeth) or any other non-removable medical and/or metallic implant
2. Individuals who have increased intracranial pressure
3. Individuals who have any major medical illness (e.g., cancer, HIV+, hepatitis, heart disease)
4. Individuals who have confounding/dual diagnoses (e.g., comorbid mental illness and substance use disorder)
5. Individuals with current diagnoses of alcohol or substance abuse/dependence
6. Individuals with epilepsy, any history of seizures, or using medication that lowers seizure threshold
7. Individuals with any neurological disorder other than aMCI (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury)
8. Pregnant females --- as determined by urine pregnancy test --- will be excluded from this study due to uncertainty of the effects of MRI and TMS on the fetus
9. Not right-handed based on self-report (pre-screening) or evaluation with a standard test
10. Not a native English speaker.

Sites (1)

• University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska · RECRUITING