Factors affecting the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a safe and non-invasive technique. In recent years, many studies have demonstrated that rTMS can improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and has potential as a therapeutic method for AD. However, the efficacy varies greatly with different rTMS treatment regimens, which is related to the frequency, type, location, duration, intensity and focusing power of stimulation. Recent studies have shown that high-frequency stimulation is superior to low-frequency stimulation; efficacy of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is similar to that of conventional rTMS, but iTBS treatment session is shorter and might be more acceptable for AD patients; rTMS stimulation sites targeting AD-damaged brain regions or associated networks would be more effective; short-term intensive treatment combined with long-term maintenance treatment can gain long-term efficacy; dynamic adjustment of stimulus intensity combined with the degree of cognitive impairment can enhance the efficacy; functional connection based on functional magnetic resonance imaging may improve the focusing power of rTMS. In this article, we review the factors related to the efficacy of rTMS, to provide reference for feasible rTMS therapeutic regimens of AD.