High-dose Accelerated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Cognitive Control Neurocircuitry in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Safety and Feasibility Study
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Sponsor
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Enrollment
- 24
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Structural Brain Change on T1- and T2-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this pilot study is to determine whether a high-dose form of non-invasive brain stimulation is a promising and safe treatment for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an FDA approved treatment for depression. In studies of TMS for depression and other disorders, individuals have experienced improved cognitive function. Thus, the current study is testing whether TMS is safe, feasible and effective in improving cognition in individuals with MCI.
Investigators
Andreana Benitez
Associate Professor
Medical University of South Carolina
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age 60-85
- •English as a first/primary language
- •Has been diagnosed with MCI by a healthcare provider within the past two years per National Institute on Aging - Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria: (1) Concern regarding cognitive decline reported by patient, informant, or clinician, (2) Objective evidence of impairment for age in 1+ cognitive domains, typically memory, (3) Preserved independent function, (4) no dementia.
- •Has met actuarial neuropsychological criteria for amnestic MCI: (1) ≥2 impaired scores (i.e. ≤16th %ile) within one cognitive domain, or (2) ≥1 impaired scores (i.e. ≤16th %ile) in ≥3 cognitive domains, using demographically-corrected normative data. (1) and (2) must include the Memory domain.
- •The primary suspected etiology of amnestic MCI must be neurodegenerative, with competing differential diagnoses (e.g. psychiatric disorder, movement disorder, reversible causes, substance use) ruled out as the primary etiology/ies following a clinical evaluation by a healthcare provider.
- •Ability to provide independent informed consent, consistent with the MCI diagnostic criterion of preserved independent function.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Dementia diagnosis per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) or NIA-AA criteria.
- •Daily/weekly use of anticholinergics, neuroleptics, sedatives, or bupropion. Stimulant use may be allowed pending investigator review. Cholinesterase inhibitors, NMDA receptor antagonists, and antidepressants are allowed if on a stable regimen of four weeks prior to enrollment.
- •History of significant or unstable condition/s that may impact cognition such as significant cardiac, cerebrovascular, or metabolic disease, severe mental illness (e.g. bipolar disorder, psychoses), alcohol or substance use disorder, developmental disorder, or other neurologic disease (e.g. severe brain injury, seizures).
- •MRI and TMS contraindications (e.g., implants, claustrophobia, conditions/treatments that lower seizure threshold, taking medications that have short half-lives, no quantifiable motor threshold, active substance use disorder, bipolar disorder).
- •Is enrolled in a clinical trial and/or has received an investigational medication within the last 30 days.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Structural Brain Change on T1- and T2-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Time Frame: Baseline prior to treatment and at follow-up within 1 week post-treatment
Clinically significant structural brain change were determined by a board-certified neuroradiologist who reviewed both the pre-treatment and post-treatment structural (T1- and T2-weighted) MRI scans to identify the presence of any changes from pre- to post-treatment based on their clinical read of the images.
Change From Baseline Global Cognition, as Measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
Time Frame: Baseline prior to treatment and at follow-up within 1 week post-treatment
The MoCA is a psychometrist-administered brief cognitive assessment tool with raw total scores ranging from 0 to 30, with higher values indicating better cognition. For this analysis raw total scores were converted to age- and education-adjusted Z-scores using published norms (Rossetti et al., 2011). Z-scores have a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. Lower scores indicate worse performance. The outcome measure reported below is the mean Z-score score at the 1-week post-treatment assessment. The statistical analysis compares this mean score to the mean score at Baseline.
Change in the Review of Systems Criteria Compared to Baseline
Time Frame: Baseline prior to treatment and at follow-up within 1 week post-treatment
A review of systems questionnaire will be administered to rate the subjective symptom (headache, scalp pain, arm/hand pain, other pain(s), numbness/tingling, other sensation(s), weakness, loss of dexterity, vision/hearing change(s), ear ringing, nausea/vomiting, appetite loss, rash, skin change(s) or any other symptom(s)) on a scale of 0 to 5 (none, minimal, mild, moderate, marked, severe).
Patient Perception of Treatment Acceptability
Time Frame: Administered at post-treatment
A 15-item study-specific questionnaire of rTMS treatment acceptability, with each item rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = not at all, 3 = somewhat, 5 = very much so). Higher scores indicate better acceptability for the first 10 items, lower scores indicate better acceptability for the last 5 items.
Retention Rate
Time Frame: Baseline prior to treatment and at follow-up within 1 week post-treatment
Percentage of participants who completed the study (n=21) relative to all participants who initiated treatment (n=22).
Secondary Outcomes
- Change From Baseline Depression, as Measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)(Baseline prior to treatment and at follow-up within 1 week post-treatment)
- Change From Baseline Cognition, as Measured by the Fluid Cognition Composite Score From the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery(Baseline prior to treatment and at follow-up within 1 week post-treatment)
- Change From Baseline Depression, as Measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)(Baseline prior to treatment and at follow-up within 1 week post-treatment)