Preliminary study of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment of mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods The study recruited 36 volunteers from Shijiazhuang City, who were diagnosed with MCI, and randomly divided into a treatment group (18) and a control group (18). Magnetic stimulation site was located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with the frequency of 20 Hz, and 30 minutes (15 minutes on each side) each time, 5 times a week for 8 weeks. The control group received the same frequency with pseudo-stimulating coil, which produced vibration and sound, but didn′t generate a magnetic field.The MMSE was used to measure cognitive functioning, and event-related potentials (ERPs) in Fz, Cz and Pz were recorded using auditory oddball paradigm. Results (1) Compared with the control group, the patients′ count error rate in the experimental group was reduced after the intervention （F(1,31)=10.335, P 0.05). Conclusion The 8-week high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment may improve the cognitive function in patients with MCI. Key words: Evoked potentials; Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; Mild cognitive impairment