Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Constraint Induced Language Therapy for Alzheimer Disease
NCT ID: NCT04482179
Last Updated: 2025-09-15
Study Results
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View full resultsBasic Information
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COMPLETED
PHASE1
23 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2020-02-19
2024-08-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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TMS may be delivered in a variety of ways. The investigators propose to use 10 Hz TMS; that is, TMS pulses will be delivered at a frequency of 10/second, for a total of 1200 pulses. Using the figure-of-eight coil to be employed here, TMS is thought to affect activity in approximately 1 cubic cm. of cortex. Many investigators have employed TMS for AD with a frequency of 10 Hz and most have delivered 1200 pulses per session.
The baseline phase will consist of 3 sessions, each lasting 1-2 hours depending on the stamina of the subject. The point of the baseline testing is to characterize the subject's language function. To that end, a number of standard language and neuropsychological tasks will be administered. These include the Western Aphasia Battery, Pyramids and Palm Trees test, Figural Fluency Test, word and non-word repetition tasks, spontaneous narrative production, CILT stimulus naming, and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Additionally, during the baseline, subjects will undergo MRI of the brain or, if they have a contraindication to MRI, a CAT scan of the head. No contrast will be used.
In the treatment phase, there will be 10 TMS sessions over 2 consecutive weeks in which 30 two-second stimulation trains of 10 Hz TMS will be delivered every 30 seconds to the left inferior pars triangularis and to the left posterior superior left temporal gyrus at 100% motor threshold. There will be a total of 600 pulses to each site in each session for a total of 1200 pulses per session. Each TMS treatment session will be immediately followed by a 60-90 minute session of CILT.
There will be two 3-month post-treatment visits and two 6-month post-treatment visits in which the full battery of language and cognitive assessments will be repeated. Subjects who are able to undergo MRI scanning will have anatomic and fMRI scans at the first 6-month post-treatment visit.
The investigators will pair TMS with CILT which has been shown to have positive outcomes in post-stroke aphasia. CILT invokes use-dependent learning in communicative interactions by requiring spoken output and restricting use of alternative forms of communication, such as gestures. The investigators will use a dual card-matching task modeled after Maher et al. As in the original CILT design, the participant interacts verbally with a conversational partner (here, the speech language pathologist), in turn requesting a card of given description and complying with the partner's request. In this way, the treatment targets both production and comprehension. Moreover, as verbal targets increase in linguistic complexity across the protocol ("a ball", "throw a ball"; "Do you have a ball"?), a variety of lexical and phrasal structures are targeted. Studies of CILT have reported gains on multiple language behaviors, supporting its broad engagement of the language network.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
QUADRUPLE
Study Groups
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Active TMS
There will be 10 TMS sessions over 2 consecutive weeks in which 30 two-second stimulation trains of 10 Hz TMS will be delivered every 30 seconds to the left inferior pars triangularis and to the left posterior superior left temporal gyrus. Each TMS treatment session will be immediately followed by a 60-90 minute session of Constrained Induced Language Therapy (CILT).
Active TMS
Active TMS will be delivered at 100% motor threshold
CILT
60-90 minutes of CILT will be administered during each treatment session
Sham TMS
There will be 10 TMS sessions over 2 consecutive weeks in which 30 two-second stimulation trains of 10 Hz sham TMS will be delivered every 30 seconds to the left inferior pars triangularis and to the left posterior superior left temporal gyrus. Sham TMS will be administered with a sham TMS coil that looks and sounds like the active coil but does not generate a magnetic field. Each TMS treatment session will be immediately followed by a 60-90 minute session of Constrained Induced Language Therapy (CILT).
CILT
60-90 minutes of CILT will be administered during each treatment session
Sham TMS
Sham TMS will be administered
Interventions
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Active TMS
Active TMS will be delivered at 100% motor threshold
CILT
60-90 minutes of CILT will be administered during each treatment session
Sham TMS
Sham TMS will be administered
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Mild-moderate cognitive impairment, indicated by Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) scores between 23 and 15 inclusive
* Must be right handed as defined by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory
* Must be a native English speaker
* Must be able to understand the nature of the study, and give informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
* History of seizure
* History of any other significant neurologic disease (e.g., ALS)
* Significant depression as defined by the Geriatric Depression Scale.
* Any significant medical disorder that, in the view of the investigators, could threaten the subject's ability to complete the study (e.g., cancer, significant cardiac disease)
* Any contraindications to TMS, including uncontrolled seizures, previous brain surgery, and history of tinnitus
60 Years
85 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
NIH
University of Pennsylvania
OTHER
Responsible Party
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H. Branch Coslett
Professor
Principal Investigators
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H. Branch Coslett, MD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Pennsylvania
Locations
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Countries
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References
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Provided Documents
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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan
Other Identifiers
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831532
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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