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| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo | OTHER |
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasingly recognized as a disorder marked by early synaptic dysfunction and disrupted brain network connectivity, beyond the traditional focus on amyloid pathology. Synaptic plasticity (crucial for learning and memory) is compromised in AD and represents a promising therapeutic target. In particular, alterations in the Default Mode Network (DMN), especially in regions like the precuneus, suggest that restoring connectivity and enhancing plasticity may improve cognitive outcomes. This project proposes a novel, precision-delivered non-invasive brain stimulation protocol that combines repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) over the DMN. The intervention will be evaluated through cognitive testing, blood-based biomarkers, MRI and TMS-EEG, alongside immersive virtual environments to assess sensorimotor and cognitive function. This approach aims to test neuromodulation strategies capable of slowing neurodegeneration and supporting early detection and rehabilitation in AD.
Patients will be screened at trial sites for determination of eligibility to enter the study on the basis of diagnostic evaluations, according to current diagnostic criteria for probable AD, and safety assessments (vital sign complete physical and neurological examinations). The efficacy assessments (cognitive/behavioral evaluations) will be performed at Baseline before starting treatment and repeated on- treatment at Weeks 0, 12 and 24. Plasma biomarkers will be collected at baseline and at Week 12 and 24. Visit windows are ±7 days for all the scheduled visits. In case a visit is performed outside its window, subsequent visits will be performed in keeping with the original visit schedule. At each in-clinic visit (or upon early termination), AEs will be recorded, at screening, baseline, Week 12 and 24 vital signs measured, and physical and neurological examination performed.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| combined iTBS-tACS | Experimental | 32 sessions of combined iTBS-tACS (5 times/week for 2 weeks -intensive phase-; 1 time/week for 22 weeks -maintenance phase-) |
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| iTBS-sham tACS | Active Comparator | 32 sessions of combined iTBS-sham tACS (5 times/week for 2 weeks -intensive phase-; 1 time/week for 22 weeks -maintenance phase-) |
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| sham iTBS- sham tACS | Placebo Comparator | 32 sessions of sham iTBS- sham tACS (5 times/week for 2 weeks -intensive phase-; 1 time/week for 22 weeks -maintenance phase-) |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined iTBS-tACS | Device | The iTBS-tACS will be applied over the precuneus and last for 190 s, with the tACS electrode positioned on the scalp and the iTBS coil positioned just above it. The iTBS protocol will consist of 600 pulses, delivered in 20 trains of 10 bursts with an interval of 8 seconds between each train. Each burst consists of three pulses at 50Hz, repeated at 5Hz. The total duration will therefore be 190 seconds. iTBS and tACS will be synchronized using a BrainTrigger and SIGNAL Software so that both stimulations will start simultaneously |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| integrated Alzheimer Disease Rating Scale (iADRS) | The iADRS is an integrated assessment of cognition and daily function from the 13-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog13) and Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-iADL), measuring global disease severity across the Alzheimer disease continuum as a single summary score. The iADRS is validated and captures clinical progression from MCI due to Alzheimer disease through moderate dementia due to Alzheimer disease, and treatment effects have been demonstrated across MCI and Alzheimer disease with mild dementia. The possible scores on the iADRS range from 0 to 144 (lower scores indicate greater impairment). | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study - Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) score. | The ADCS-ADL includes 23 items that were derived from a larger set of items describing performance of activities of daily living. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-iADL). |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in cortical activity | From TMS-EEG recording it is possible to analyze oscillatory activity of the stimulated brain area. Monitoring the frequency band during time after TMS-pulse we calculate Time-frequency Wavelets and from there the TMS-related spectral perturbation (TRSP) as output of the frequency bands (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma) expressed. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Failure to undergo screening or baseline exams
Hospitalization or change in chronic concomitant medications one month before the screening or during the screening period
Clinical, laboratory, or neuroimaging results consistent with:
A current DSM-V diagnosis of major depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder.
Clinically significant, advanced, or unstable disease that may interfere with primary or secondary variable assessments and may affect the assessment of the patient's clinical or mental state, or expose the patient to special risk, such as:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giacomo Koch, Prof | Contact | +390651501181 | g.koch@hsantlucia.it |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Giacomo Koch, Prof. | IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation | Recruiting | Rome | Italy | 00179 | Italy |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30009636 | Background | Chou HY, Chen SC, Yen TH, Han HM. Effect of a Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Program on Fatigue in Hospitalized Taiwanese End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis. Clin Nurs Res. 2020 Jul;29(6):368-374. doi: 10.1177/1054773818788511. Epub 2018 Jul 15. | |
| 30051512 | Background | Blennow K, Zetterberg H. Biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: current status and prospects for the future. J Intern Med. 2018 Dec;284(6):643-663. doi: 10.1111/joim.12816. Epub 2018 Aug 19. |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000544 | Alzheimer Disease |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D003704 | Dementia |
| D001927 | Brain Diseases |
| D002493 | Central Nervous System Diseases |
| D009422 | Nervous System Diseases |
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Three arms randomized sham-controlled trial
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Four-blinded
|
| iTBS-sham tACS | Device | The iTBS-tACS will be applied over the precuneus and last for 190 s, with the tACS electrode positioned on the scalp and the iTBS coil positioned just above it. The iTBS protocol will consist of 600 pulses, delivered in 20 trains of 10 bursts with an interval of 8 seconds between each train. Each burst consists of three pulses at 50Hz, repeated at 5Hz. The total duration will therefore be 190 seconds. For the tACS sham condition, the electric current will not be applied, but there will be a 2 s 1 mA ramp up and 2 s 1 mA ramp down, to give the participant real stimulation feelings. |
|
| sham iTBS- sham tACS | Device | The iTBS-tACS will be applied over the precuneus and last for 190 s, with the tACS electrode positioned on the scalp and the iTBS coil positioned just above it. The iTBS protocol will consist of 600 pulses, delivered in 20 trains of 10 bursts with an interval of 8 seconds between each train. Each burst consists of three pulses at 50Hz, repeated at 5Hz. The total duration will therefore be 190 seconds. For the iTBS sham condition, stimulation was delivered with the coil angled at 90°, with only the edge of the coil resting on the scalp.. For the tACS sham condition, the electric current will not be applied, but there will be a 2 s 1 mA ramp up and 2 s 1 mA ramp down, to give the participant real stimulation feelings. |
|
A standardized clinical scale used to assess an individual's ability to perform complex daily tasks. |
| Change from baseline to week 24. |
| Change in the Clinical Dementia Rating scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SoB) score. | The CDR-SoB is a 5-point scale used to characterize six domains of cognitive and functional performance in AD and related dementias: Memory, Orientation, Judgment & Problem Solving, Community Affairs, Home & Hobbies, and Personal Care. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Cognitive Scale (ADAS-Cog13) score. | The ADAS-Cog13 assesses the level of cognitive function in Alzheimer's Disease. The ADAS-Cog13 consists of items from the following areas chosen for their sensitivity to Alzheimer's Disease: language; memory; praxis executive functions and orientation. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in the Neuropsychiatric Personal Inventory (NPI) score. | The NPI scale assesses behavioral disturbances in dementia. The NPI is a reliable and valid scale measuring the following behavioral areas: delusions, hallucinations, agitation, depression, anxiety, euphoria, apathy, disinhibition, irritability, aberrant motor behavior, night time behaviors, and eating disorders. The score range is from 0 to 144 with the higher score meaning more severe behavioural disturbances. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. | The MMSE is a brief, widely used valid, and reliable assessment of cognitive impairment. This 30-point questionnaire is used to screen and estimate the severity of cognitive impairment in addition to being used to follow the course of cognitive change over time. The test assesses orientation, attention and calculation, recall, language, repetition, and ability to follow complex commands. The score range is from 0 to 30, with lower score meaning greater cognitive impairment. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in the Montreal Overall Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score. | The MoCA is a brief screening tool for mild cognitive impairment, scored from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive functions. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in Face-Name Association Task (FNAT) score. | The FNAT is a cross-modal memory test where participants learn and recall pairs of unfamiliar faces and common first names. In this study, only face-name pairs were used (no occupations). The score reflects the number of correctly recalled names, with higher scores indicating better associative memory. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in Apathy Motivation index (AMI) score. | The AMI scores range from 0 to 4 for each item, with higher scores indicating greater levels of apathy. The total score is calculated by averaging item scores across its subscales. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) score. | The FAB is a brief battery of six neuropsychological tasks designed to assess frontal lobe function. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in the cortical connectivity | Monitoring how TMS-induced EEG activity spreads from the stimulated area to the other areas, it is possible to assess the effective connectivity that area has with a widespread of network connected. So we calculate the source reconstruction, coherence between different areas and other connectivity indexes in the cortical oscillatory domain, i.e. Phase-locking Value (PLV) and Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC). | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Change in Virtual Reality task performance. | The motor task will be assessed using the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL) system and a certified VR headset, measuring kinematic variables (walking speed in m/s and joint trajectories in degrees) and performance metrics (number of targets hit and reaction time in ms) under dual-task conditions. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Changes in the blood-based biomarkers | Plasma concentrations of Aβ42, Aβ40, P-tau217, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), neurogranin, SNAP25 will be quantified using Single Molecule Array (Simoa) assays and reported in pg/mL. | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| Changes on MRI markers of regional gray matter atrophy and functional connectivity | Will measure changes in brain structure, tissue integrity, and atrophy, as well as changes in brain activity and blood flow using resting-state functional MRI (fRMI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL). | Change from baseline to the end of treatment at week 24. |
| I.R.C.C.S. Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo | Not yet recruiting | Messina | Sicily | 98124 | Italy |
|
| 22465297 | Background | Fox MD, Halko MA, Eldaief MC, Pascual-Leone A. Measuring and manipulating brain connectivity with resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Neuroimage. 2012 Oct 1;62(4):2232-43. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.03.035. Epub 2012 Mar 19. |
| 20639384 | Background | Gili T, Cercignani M, Serra L, Perri R, Giove F, Maraviglia B, Caltagirone C, Bozzali M. Regional brain atrophy and functional disconnection across Alzheimer's disease evolution. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;82(1):58-66. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2009.199935. Epub 2010 Jul 16. |
| 36281767 | Background | Koch G, Casula EP, Bonni S, Borghi I, Assogna M, Minei M, Pellicciari MC, Motta C, D'Acunto A, Porrazzini F, Maiella M, Ferrari C, Caltagirone C, Santarnecchi E, Bozzali M, Martorana A. Precuneus magnetic stimulation for Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, sham-controlled trial. Brain. 2022 Nov 21;145(11):3776-3786. doi: 10.1093/brain/awac285. |
| 29277405 | Background | Koch G, Bonni S, Pellicciari MC, Casula EP, Mancini M, Esposito R, Ponzo V, Picazio S, Di Lorenzo F, Serra L, Motta C, Maiella M, Marra C, Cercignani M, Martorana A, Caltagirone C, Bozzali M. Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the precuneus enhances memory and neural activity in prodromal Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimage. 2018 Apr 1;169:302-311. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.048. Epub 2017 Dec 19. |
| 35446396 | Background | Hu Y, Kirmess KM, Meyer MR, Rabinovici GD, Gatsonis C, Siegel BA, Whitmer RA, Apgar C, Hanna L, Kanekiyo M, Kaplow J, Koyama A, Verbel D, Holubasch MS, Knapik SS, Connor J, Contois JH, Jackson EN, Harpstrite SE, Bateman RJ, Holtzman DM, Verghese PB, Fogelman I, Braunstein JB, Yarasheski KE, West T. Assessment of a Plasma Amyloid Probability Score to Estimate Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography Findings Among Adults With Cognitive Impairment. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 1;5(4):e228392. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.8392. |
| D024801 |
| Tauopathies |
| D019636 | Neurodegenerative Diseases |
| D019965 | Neurocognitive Disorders |
| D001523 | Mental Disorders |