Targeted Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Hippocampal-dependent Declarative Memory Abilities
University of Nebraska
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.
Description
The investigators propose a pilot study of the potential for non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to improve memory in healthy adults (young and old) and to treat memory deficits in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). aMCI is a condition that frequently precedes Alzheimer's disease (AD), and a key symptom of aMCI is clinically significant memory loss (i.e., rapid forgetting) greater than expected for age. The investigators will test whether a form of non-invasive brain stimulation repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can improve memory ab…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 19+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
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…
Interventions
- DeviceTranscranial magnetic stimulation
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.
Location
- University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, Nebraska