A year of therapy that gives a chance. rTMS stops the development of Alzheimer's in patients

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can effectively slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to the latest research by Italian scientists. A year of treatment in this group of patients resulted in better cognitive and functional results compared to the control group. This could mean a breakthrough in non-invasive methods of supporting patients.

RTMS is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that uses magnetic pulses to activate specific areas of the brain. Although previously used primarily to treat depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder , researchers at Italy’s Santa Lucia IRCCS Foundation have tested whether it can also help people with Alzheimer’s disease . Their study focused on an area of ​​the brain called the precuneus , which is one of the first to change in the course of the disease.

The study involved 48 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease . Twenty-seven received real magnetic stimulation , while 21 received sham stimulation . Some participants continued their previous 24-week program, while the rest began a full year of treatment . The therapy lasted 52 weeks and included an intensive two-week phase and weekly maintenance sessions .

The stimulation was individually tailored to the patient – ​​thanks to the use of neuronavigation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG), it was possible to precisely determine the location and strength of the impulses.

Patients who received real rTMS showed much slower deterioration . For example, on the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale – Sum of Boxes, the mean increase (i.e. deterioration) was 1.36 in those treated with rTMS, compared with 2.45 in the sham group.

In everyday functioning, the differences were even more noticeable – participants treated with rTMS lost only 1.5 points , while the control group lost 11.6 points . Also, the results of cognitive tests , such as the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale and the Mini Mental State Examination , were significantly more favorable in the group undergoing therapy.

The results are promising , but scientists emphasize that this is just the beginning . Larger, long-term studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of this method. However, for patients and their loved ones, this may already be a glimmer of hope – that Alzheimer's does not have to progress as quickly as previously thought.