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RECRUITING
NCT07547319
NA

Effects of Accelerated rTMS on Cognitive Function

Sponsor: San Francisco Neurology and Sleep Center

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

Cognitive impairment, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia, is a growing public health challenge with limited effective treatment options. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that has shown promise for improving cognitive function, but most studies have used conventional protocols and relied on global screening tools that may not capture domain-specific changes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered via the EXOMIND™ device (BTL-699-2) for improving cognitive function in adults aged 50 to 90 years with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. The study asks whether a course of 6 rTMS sessions targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, administered twice weekly over approximately 3 weeks, can produce meaningful and sustained improvements in global and domain-specific cognitive function over a 3-month follow-up period. This is a single-center, open-label, prospective pilot study enrolling 80 participants with documented cognitive decline (Montreal Cognitive Assessment \[MoCA\] score 10-25). Participants will receive 6 sessions of high frequency rTMS (6,300 pulses per session at alternating frequencies of 12, 15, and 18 Hz) over approximately 3 weeks. The primary outcome is the change from baseline in MoCA score at 1-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include changes in MoCA score at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up, changes in domain-specific cognitive measures (visual spatial working memory, episodic memory, deductive reasoning, mental rotation, verbal short term memory, and attention) assessed by the Creyos cognitive battery, and changes in depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Assessments are performed at baseline, post treatment, 1-month follow-up, and 3-month follow-up. Total study duration per participant is up to 139 days.

Official title: Clinical and Neurophysiological Effects of Accelerated rTMS on Cognitive Function: A Prospective Pilot Study

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

50 Years - 90 Years

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

80

Start Date

2026-07-15

Completion Date

2027-12-31

Last Updated

2026-07-17

Healthy Volunteers

No

Interventions

DEVICE

TMS

The EXOMIND™ (BTL-699-2) is a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) device that delivers targeted electromagnetic pulses to cortical brain regions. In this study, stimulation is applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region implicated in executive function, working memory, and attention. The DLPFC target is localized using the standard 5-cm rule, measured anterior to the motor cortex hot spot. Each treatment session uses a multi-frequency protocol alternating between 12, 15, and 18 Hz stimulation frequencies, delivering a total of 6,300 pulses over 24 minutes and 30 seconds. Stimulation intensity is calibrated to each participant's resting motor threshold, defined as the minimum stimulus intensity required to produce a visible contraction of the right abductor pollicis brevis muscle. Six sessions are administered twice weekly over approximately 3 weeks. The procedure is performed on

Locations (1)

San Francisco Neurology and Sleep Center

San Francisco, California, United States