Nuovo trattamento di stimolazione cerebrale per i sintomi neuropsichiatrici nella malattia di Alzheimer

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.