Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Slow Down Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease

Launched by WILLEM DE HAAN · Jun 23, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a treatment called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to see if it can help slow down memory and thinking problems in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. rTMS uses gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate a specific part of the brain called the precuneus, which is important for memory and is often affected in Alzheimer’s. In earlier studies, people who received this treatment showed stable thinking abilities and increased brain activity, while those who did not receive the real treatment experienced a decline. This new study aims to learn more about how this treatment works and how helpful it might be.

People who may be eligible to join this trial are between 50 and 85 years old, have early signs of Alzheimer’s confirmed by certain brain tests, and have mild to moderate memory and thinking difficulties. Participants need to have a caregiver to support them during the study. If you have other serious brain conditions, certain medical implants, or have had this magnetic treatment before, you would not be eligible. Those who join can expect regular sessions of rTMS over 24 weeks, along with brain scans and memory tests to see how the treatment is working. This trial is currently recruiting participants and hopes to offer a new approach to help people living with Alzheimer’s.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Biomarker-supported Alzheimer's disease (abnormal CSF p-tau/Aβ42 ratio of \> 0.023 or amyloid PET positive).
• • Between 50 and 85 years old.
• • Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0.5 or 1.
• • Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score between 18 and 26.
• • Presence of a caregiver.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Medical history of neurodegenerative diseases other than AD, stroke, or epilepsy.
• • Severe psychiatric dysregulation, hampering successful study participation and leading to possible cognitive impairment. Eligibility for participation will be based on clinical evaluation by an expert neurologist and/or psychiatrist.
• • Extensive cerebrovascular damage on MRI classified as Fazekas level 2 or 3. Patients with abnormalities classified as Fazekas level 3 are excluded. For Fazekas level 2, patient's eligibility for participation will be evaluated by an expert neurologist.
• • Presence of metal in the head or cranial/thoracic implants, including cochlear implants.
• • Cholinesterase inhibitors with unstable dosage in the last 2 months.
• • Extreme claustrophobia or metallic objects in or on the body, preventing MRI and MEG examination.
• • Previous rTMS treatment (for blinding reasons).