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Nová léčba stimulace mozku neuropsychiatrických symptomů u Alzheimerovy choroby

1. října 2026 aktualizováno: Ricardo Jorge, MD, Baylor College of Medicine

Sekvenční zrychlené ITB / vzdálené TDC pro léčbu neuropsychiatrických symptomů u Alzheimerovy choroby: pilotní studie

The goal of this pilot study is to test a combination of two non-invasive brain stimulation methods, called iTBS (intermittent theta burst stimulation) and tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation), in people with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD). This study will also explore whether the combined treatment shows promise for reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms like mood swings, apathy, and agitation, and will evaluate the impact of the treatment on caregivers.

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

  1. Is the combined brain stimulation treatment practical and well-tolerated?
  2. Do preliminary results suggest that this treatment could help manage neuropsychiatric symptoms and support a larger study?

Participants will:

  • Attend nine in-person visits over three months.
  • Complete one week of in-clinic brain stimulation sessions (iTBS) followed by four weeks of daily at-home brain stimulation sessions (tDCS).
  • Take part in brain scans, questionnaires, and brain activity tests before and after the treatment.

This pilot study is a first step to assess whether this combined treatment approach is practical and whether it has potential to improve symptoms, laying the groundwork for larger studies in the future.

Přehled studie

Postavení

Zatím nenabíráme

Podmínky

Intervence / Léčba

Detailní popis

This study is designed to explore a new way to manage behavioral and emotional symptoms in people with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD). Many people with these conditions experience mood swings, apathy, or agitation, which can be difficult to treat with current medications due to limited effectiveness and side effects. This research is testing whether two types of brain stimulation, called iTBS (intermittent theta burst stimulation) and tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation), can be combined to provide a non-invasive and potentially effective treatment for these symptoms.

Brain stimulation is already used in other areas of medicine and involves applying gentle magnetic or electrical stimulation to the brain. iTBS uses short bursts of magnetic pulses, while tDCS uses a low electrical current. Both methods are painless, safe, and do not require surgery. This study is the first to look at combining these two techniques for people with AD/ADRD, based on findings from other research that suggest the combination might have stronger effects than either method alone.

Since this is a pilot study, the focus is on understanding whether the treatment process is practical for both patients and caregivers. This includes evaluating how easy it is for participants to attend the clinic sessions, whether caregivers can successfully administer the at-home treatments, and whether the overall process is manageable for families. In addition to these practical questions, researchers will also collect preliminary data to see if the treatment helps improve behavioral symptoms and measure any changes in the brain using scans and brain activity tests.

Participants will spend one week receiving treatments in a clinic and four weeks using a portable device for at-home sessions. Researchers will closely monitor participants throughout the study to ensure safety and will follow up to see if any improvements last after the treatment ends.

The study is an important step in understanding whether this new approach has potential to help people with AD/ADRD and whether it should be studied further in larger trials. It also aims to identify how to make the treatment process as smooth and effective as possible for patients and caregivers.

Typ studie

Intervenční

Zápis (Odhadovaný)

20

Fáze

  • Nelze použít

Kontakty a umístění

Tato část poskytuje kontaktní údaje pro ty, kteří studii provádějí, a informace o tom, kde se tato studie provádí.

Studijní kontakt

  • Jméno: Lane Witkowski Research Coordinator
  • Telefonní číslo: 206-419-1261
  • E-mail: Lane.Witkowski@va.gov

Studijní místa

    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, Spojené státy, 77030
        • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
        • Kontakt:
          • Lane Witkowski
          • Telefonní číslo: 206-419-1261

Kritéria účasti

Výzkumníci hledají lidi, kteří odpovídají určitému popisu, kterému se říká kritéria způsobilosti. Některé příklady těchto kritérií jsou celkový zdravotní stav osoby nebo předchozí léčba.

Kritéria způsobilosti

Věk způsobilý ke studiu

65 let až 85 let (Starší dospělý)

Přijímá zdravé dobrovolníky

Ne

Pohlaví způsobilá ke studiu

Všechno

Popis

Inclusion criteria

  1. veteran between the ages of 60 to 85
  2. clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease or related dementia
  3. clinically significant neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) evidenced by a score ≥ 2 in at least one domain of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire
  4. mild to moderate cognitive impairment demonstrated by a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 15-23
  5. have a caregiver who is able and willing to escort the patient to/from clinic visits, answer questionnaires, and assist in the implementation of treatment sessions at home
  6. if taking psychotropic medications, demonstrate stability for at least 4 weeks of treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. any contraindication for MRI
  2. any contraindication for iTBS/tDCS including but not limited to seizure disorder, severe cardiovascular disease, history of brain surgery, or stroke involving the cerebral cortex near area of stimulation
  3. current alcohol or substance use disorder determined by QuickSCID (nicotine allowed; mild cannabis and alcohol use is allowed)
  4. neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) that are severe enough to preclude the intervention from being delivered safely and effectively, particularly agitation or aggression.

6) any unstable coexisting medical condition that in the opinion of the principal investigator(s) interferes with the treatment protocol or increase the likelihood of adverse events.

Studijní plán

Tato část poskytuje podrobnosti o studijním plánu, včetně toho, jak je studie navržena a co studie měří.

Jak je studie koncipována?

Detaily designu

  • Primární účel: Léčba
  • Přidělení: N/A
  • Intervenční model: Přiřazení jedné skupiny
  • Maskování: Žádné (otevřený štítek)

Zbraně a zásahy

Skupina účastníků / Arm
Intervence / Léčba
Jiný: Brain Stimulation

Participants will receive a combination of two non-invasive brain stimulation treatments. During the first week, iTBS sessions will be administered in-clinic for five consecutive days, using magnetic pulses to target brain areas associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms. This is followed by four weeks of daily, self-administered tDCS at home, delivering a low electrical current to modulate brain activity. Participants will complete brain scans and questionnaires at various points to evaluate changes in the brain and symptom severity.

This intervention is distinct because it combines two non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), in a sequential manner. Unlike studies that evaluate these techniques individually, this study explores their combined and complementary effects, with iTBS priming the brain to enhance the subsequent impact of tDCS. The sequential design leverages different mechanisms of action: iTBS delivers magnetic pulses to targeted brain areas to modulate neural activity, while tDCS applies a low electrical current for sustained modulation. This approach specifically targets neuropsychiatric symptoms (e.g., mood swings, apathy, and agitation) in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD), a population often underserved by traditional interventions. The study also evaluates the feasibility of at-home tDCS administration, making it unique in combining clinical and caregiver-managed treat

Co je měření studie?

Primární výstupní opatření

Měření výsledku
Popis opatření
Časové okno
Feasibility of iTBS-tDCS treatment in ADRD patients
Časové okno: From enrollment until the end of treatment at 5 weeks

The feasibility of providing sequential iTBS-tDCS treatment to ADRD patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms is a primary focus. Feasibility will be assessed mainly through rates of by recruitment, retention and adherence. Recruitment rate is the number of enrolled patients divided by the total number of patients who initially approached the study or had interest in it. Retention rate is the percentage of patients who complete the entire study out of the initial enrolled participants, and then adherence rate is the number of completed iTBS and tDCS sessions divided by the total prescribed treatment sessions. Since feasibility is being evaluated as the primary aim instead of efficacy, there is no randomization or probability of group assignment. Each and every subject will undergo the same treatment stimulation process, as they will all have 1 week of in-clinic iTBS sessions and then four weeks of at-home tDCS sessions.

From enrollment until the end of treatment at 5 weeks
Tolerability of iTBS-tDCS treatment in ADRD patients
Časové okno: From enrollment until the end of treatment at 5 weeks

The tolerability of providing sequential iTBS-tDCS treatment to ADRD patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms. Tolerability will be evaluated based on the frequency and severity of adverse events reported during the intervention period. These findings will inform the design and implementation of a larger clinical trial.

From enrollment until the end of treatment at 5 weeks

Sekundární výstupní opatření

Měření výsledku
Popis opatření
Časové okno
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms
Časové okno: From enrollment until the end of treatment at 5 weeks

We will gather preliminary data on the potential effects of iTBS-tDCS on neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias, as determined by changes in standardized neuropsychiatric symptom questionnaires pre- and post-treatment.

From enrollment until the end of treatment at 5 weeks
Caregiver burden
Časové okno: At baseline (week 0) and post-treatment (week 6)

We will also explore the potential impact of the treatment on caregiver burden using caregiver-reported outcomes collected before and after the intervention. The total score of caregiver burden will involve the sum of the responses to all items on the Zarit Burden Interview assessment, and these scores are rated on a Likert scale of 0-4. This total score quantifies the level of caregiver burden, as high scores will indicate greater burden. Descriptive statistics; such as mean, median, and standard deviation-will summarize the overall caregiver burden within the study sample. Other factors associated with determining caregiver burden include inferential statistical methods like multiple regression analysis or ANOVA, as these will be used to examine connections between ZBI scores and variables such as patient cognitive function, treatment compliance, and demographic factors.

At baseline (week 0) and post-treatment (week 6)
Brain connectivity through MRI
Časové okno: At baseline visit (week 0) and post-treatment (week 6)

We can observe potential changes in brain connectivity through functional MRI scans conducted pre- and post-treatment, to inform hypotheses for future studies. The MRI will be used to obtain baseline images and neuromodulation-induced changes of brain structure as well as functional connectivity, particularly in the default mode and salience networks.

At baseline visit (week 0) and post-treatment (week 6)

Spolupracovníci a vyšetřovatelé

Zde najdete lidi a organizace zapojené do této studie.

Sponzor

Publikace a užitečné odkazy

Osoba odpovědná za zadávání informací o studiu tyto publikace poskytuje dobrovolně. Mohou se týkat čehokoli, co souvisí se studiem.

Termíny studijních záznamů

Tato data sledují průběh záznamů studie a předkládání souhrnných výsledků na ClinicalTrials.gov. Záznamy ze studií a hlášené výsledky jsou před zveřejněním na veřejné webové stránce přezkoumány Národní lékařskou knihovnou (NLM), aby se ujistily, že splňují specifické standardy kontroly kvality.

Hlavní termíny studia

Začátek studia (Odhadovaný)

1. prosince 2026

Primární dokončení (Odhadovaný)

1. července 2027

Dokončení studie (Odhadovaný)

1. srpna 2027

Termíny zápisu do studia

První předloženo

13. prosince 2024

První předloženo, které splnilo kritéria kontroly kvality

17. února 2025

První zveřejněno (Aktuální)

19. února 2025

Aktualizace studijních záznamů

Poslední zveřejněná aktualizace (Aktuální)

5. října 2026

Odeslaná poslední aktualizace, která splnila kritéria kontroly kvality

1. října 2026

Naposledy ověřeno

1. října 2026

Více informací

Termíny související s touto studií

Další identifikační čísla studie

  • H-56426

Informace o lécích a zařízeních, studijní dokumenty

Studuje lékový produkt regulovaný americkým FDA

Ne

Studuje produkt zařízení regulovaný americkým úřadem FDA

Ano

produkt vyrobený a vyvážený z USA

Ano

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