Home › Research › Treatments
Transcranial magnetic stimulation intervention in Alzheimer's disease: a research proposal for a randomized controlled trial
Marron EM, Viejo-Sobera R, Quintana M, Redolar-Ripoll D, Rodríguez D, Garolera M.. BMC research notes, 2018-09-05
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective Alzheimer's disease is a major health problem in our society. To date, pharmacological treatments have obtained poor results and there is a growing interest in finding non-pharmacological interventions for this disease. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that is able to induce changes in brain activity and long-term modifications in impaired neural networks, becoming a promising clinical intervention. Our goal is to study the benefit of individualized TMS targeting based on the patient's functional connectivity (personalized targeting), and short duration TMS protocol, instead of current non-individualized and longer session approaches. A double blind randomized controlled trial will be conducted to assess the effects of TMS treatment immediately, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after the end of the intervention. Fifty-four patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease will be randomly allocated into experimental (active TMS), sham control, or conventional intervention control group. We will quantify changes in cognitive, functional, and emotional deficits in Alzheimer patients, as well as the functional connectivity changes induced by the TMS treatment. Results We expect to demonstrate that personalized TMS intervention has a measurable positive impact in cognition, emotion, daily living activities and brain connectivity, thus representing a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Trial registration The trial has been prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03121066. Date of registration: 04/19/2017.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Marron, E. M., Viejo-Sobera, R., Quintana, M., Redolar-Ripoll, D., Rodríguez, D., & Garolera, M. (2018). Transcranial magnetic stimulation intervention in Alzheimer's disease: a research proposal for a randomized controlled trial. BMC research notes. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-018-3757-z
Vancouver
Marron EM, Viejo-Sobera R, Quintana M, Redolar-Ripoll D, Rodríguez D, Garolera M. Transcranial magnetic stimulation intervention in Alzheimer's disease: a research proposal for a randomized controlled trial. BMC research notes. 2018. doi:10.1186/s13104-018-3757-z. PMID: 30185210.
BibTeX
@article{marron2018-30185210,
author = {Marron, E. M. and Viejo-Sobera, R. and Quintana, M. and Redolar-Ripoll, D. and Rodríguez, D. and Garolera, M.},
title = {{Transcranial magnetic stimulation intervention in Alzheimer's disease: a research proposal for a randomized controlled trial}},
journal = {BMC research notes},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1186/s13104-018-3757-z},
pmid = {30185210},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-018-3757-z}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- To date, pharmacological treatments have obtained poor results and there is a growing interest in finding non-pharmacological interventions for this disease.
- Results We expect to demonstrate that personalized TMS intervention has a measurable positive impact in cognition, emotion, daily living activities and brain connectivity, thus representing a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters
This is a proposal for a planned randomized trial of personalized transcranial magnetic stimulation in 54 patients with Alzheimer's disease. The authors expect it may improve cognition, emotion, daily activities, and brain connectivity, but no results are available yet.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Treatments →
Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC research notes) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | BMC Research Notes: journal h-index 137 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 14 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.4 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Maite Garolera: h-index 33 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Universitat Oberta de Catalunya: institution h-index 197 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30185210) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3757-z
- PubMed: 30185210
- Original source →
- Free full text: BMC Research Notes →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 17.
Related studies in Treatments
Also tagged “double-blind”
783 studies in the library carry the topic tag “double-blind”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 783 tagged studies.