Alzheimer's disease with depressive symptoms: Clinical effect of intermittent theta burst stimulation repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by the ongoing deterioration of neural function, often presents alongside depressive features and greatly affects the quality of life of individuals living with the condition. Although several treatment methods exist, their efficacy is limited. In recent years, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) utilizing the theta burst stimulation (TBS) mode, specifically the intermittent TBS (iTBS), has demonstrated promising therapeutic potential in the management of neuropsychiatric disorders.

AIM

To examine the therapeutic efficacy of iTBS mode of rTMS for treating depressive symptoms in patients with AD.

METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled 105 individuals diagnosed with AD with depressive symptoms at Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital, affiliated with Huzhou University, between January 2020 and December 2023. Participants received standard pharmacological interventions and were categorized into control (n = 53) and observation (n = 52) groups based on treatment protocols. The observation group received iTBS mode of rTMS, while the control group received pseudo-stimulation. A comparative analysis evaluated psychological well-being, adverse events, and therapeutic at initiation of hospitalization (T0) and 15 days post-treatment (T1).

RESULTS

At T1, both groups exhibited a marked reduction in self-rating depression scale and Hamilton depression scale scores compared to T0. Furthermore, the observation group showed a more pronounced decrease than the control group. By T1, the Mini-mental state examination scores for both groups had increased markedly from their initial T0 assessments. Importantly, the increase was particularly more substantial in the observation group than in the control group. Fourteen patients in the control group had ineffective treatment effects, while five patients in the observation group experienced the same. Additionally, the observation group experienced a substantially reduced incidence of ineffective treatment as compared to the control group (both P < 0.05); there were no recorded serious adverse events in either group.

CONCLUSION

The iTBS model of rTMS effectively treated AD with depression, improving depressive symptoms and cognitive function in patients without serious adverse reactions, warranting clinical consideration.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Non-persistent θ short array fast pulse mode; Depression; Clinical efficacy; Dementia; Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Core Tip: Alzheimer's disease (AD) predominantly impacts brain neurons, being a chronic neurodegenerative condition. With disease progression, many patients with AD experience depressive symptoms, significantly impeding their lives while imposing a substantial strain on families and society. Therefore, this study investigated the clinical effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation-intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS-rTMS) on patients with AD experiencing depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest iTBS-rTMS significantly improves depressive symptoms and shows promise in enhancing cognitive function, offering a novel approach to managing comorbid depression in patients with AD and promoting the development of the field of neuroscience.