Clinical Research Directory

The Effect of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation rTMS on Hand Muscles in Chronic Stroke Patients.

The study is about using a brain stimulation technique called rTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) to help improve hand muscles in people who had a stroke. Researchers want to understand how this device can help stroke patients use their hands better.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Apathy in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Apathy, a profound loss of initiative and motivation, is often seen in older Veterans with memory problems. Apathy leads to serious health problems, increases dependency, and caregiver burden. If untreated, apathy hastens the progression to frank dementia. In a pilot study, the investigators found that apathy, working memory, and function can be restored using magnetic stimulation in some but not all older Veterans. The reason for this variation is unknown. The investigators propose a three-phase study in 125 older Veterans with mild memory problems. Their motivation, memory, and function will be measured periodically. Veterans with apathy that are eligible for treatment will receive either real or sham magnetic stimulation to the front part of their brain over 20 sessions. Genetic testing and biomarkers will be used to differentiate those who respond to magnetic stimulation from those who do not. Impact on function, quality of life, and rates of progression to dementia will also be studied. A project modification was obtained to conduct a cross-sectional study, the COVID Dementia study. The cross-sectional study will examine the effect of the pandemic on MCI and AD patients and their caregivers ("individual COVID-related factors" such as, personally infected, death of a friend/family member, economic hardship, disruption in care, isolation), barriers to telehealth, caregiver distress, NPS, cognition (including onset of delirium), and function. Our goal is to develop a multi-pronged, remotely deliverable intervention to address consequences of healthcare disruptions in older Veterans with cognitive impairment. Aim 1. To explore the association between COVID-related factors and neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals with MCI and AD. Hypothesis: The number of COVID-related factors endorsed by caregivers will be positively correlated with the severity of NPI-Q in individuals with MCI and AD. Aim 2. To assess cognition (telephonic version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment; tMoCA12, and daily function (Functional Activities Questionnaire; FAQ13). Hypothesis: The number of COVID-related factors will be positively correlated with the severity of cognitive and functional deficits in individuals with MCI and AD. Aim 3. To explore the associations among COVID-related factors and caregiver distress. Hypothesis: Caregiver resilience and perceived social support will modify the association between COVID-related factors and severity of distress in caregivers.

rTMS Posterior Parietal Cortex Modulation and Upper Limb Movement After Stroke

This study evaluates the effect of a unique session of inhibitory rTMS (cTBS) over the contralesional posterio parietal cortex (PPC) on the spatio-temporal parameters of a pointing movement performed by stroke patients with their paretic upper limb. It will also assess the effects on the resting motor threshold of both hemispheres and on parietopremotor connectivity. To achieve theses aims, the real cTBS stimulation will be randomly counterbalanced with a SHAM stimulation (in a second session) in a crossover design. Assessments will be performed before and after each stimulation session.

rTMS for Postoperative Brain Tumor Patients

When doctors perform surgery to remove brain tumors, the goal is to take out as much of the tumor as possible while keeping the patient's brain functions intact. However, sometimes patients have trouble with movements like walking or using their hands after surgery. One reason for this is unintentional damage to important areas of the brain during the operation. A technique called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) might help patients recover these lost abilities faster. The investigators are conducting a study to see if TMS can help patients recover their movement abilities after brain tumor surgery. TMS uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific parts of the brain. In this study, the investigators will treat six patients with TMS once per day for three days in a row. Three patients with recent movement difficulties one to two weeks after surgery will be recruited for this study; they will also receive physical therapy. An additional three patients with persisting movement difficulties up to three years after tumor surgery will also be recruited for this study, regardless of whether or not they receive physical therapy. The investigators will use two standard tests to see how well patients can move before and after the TMS treatment. These tests will help the investigators understand if TMS is making a difference in their recovery.

rTMS in Older Adults With MCI and AUD

Alcohol misuse is a risk factor for early onset cognitive impairment, contributing to 10% of early onset dementia, with risk corresponding to consumption. Additionally, continued drinking risks worsening cognitive decline and dementia progression, while worsening cognitive impairment contributes to drinking escalation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to improve cognition in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dimentias (ADRD) and separately reduce heavy drinking in alcohol use disorder. Our objective is to optimize rTMS for simultaneous mitigation of both drinking and cognitive dysfunction in older adults.

Effects of the Stimulation Site of tsMS With TMS on Functional Mobility in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

This randomized clinical trial aims to compare the effects of two different trans-spinal magnetic stimulation (tsMS) application sites, cervical versus thoracic, when combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), on functional mobility in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Participants diagnosed with PD will be randomized into two intervention groups (rTMS + cervical tsMS or rTMS + thoracic tsMS) and will undergo 10 treatment sessions. Outcomes will include functional mobility, gait speed, motor function, freeing of gait, balance, quality of life, global perceived improvement and adverse events. The study is expected to identify the most effective tsMS application site to enhance mobility and motor outcomes in PD, contributing to the optimization and standardization of tsMS protocols as an adjunct therapy.

iTBS/fMRI Study of Apex Control

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex.

Varenicline and Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Quitting Nicotine Use (Pilot Study)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a combination of varenicline and accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (aTMS) works to help adults quit using nicotine products. Researchers will compare varenicline + active aTMS to varenicline + sham (inactive) aTMS to see the effect of aTMS on reaching abstinence. The main question it aims to answer is: Does receiving active aTMS + varenicline lead to higher abstinence rates and lower nicotine craving? Participants will be asked to: * Complete 2 brain MRI scans * Take varenicline every day for 12 weeks * Quit using nicotine products at the end of the second week of varenicline * Complete 5 consecutive days (Monday-Friday, uninterrupted) of TMS treatments * Complete 12 brief, weekly follow-up visits * Complete a brief daily survey each day that they take the study drug

Personalized iTBS in Real-World Clinical Settings for Schizophrenia

This study is designed to determine whether neuronavigation-guided, personalized Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation (iTBS) can produce clinically benefits for patients with schizophrenia when delivered in real-world treatment settings. By situating the intervention within real-world treatment settings-without imposing restrictions on concurrent pharmacotherapy-this trial seeks to generate evidence that is both scientifically rigorous and clinically relevant. The main questions it seeks to address are: Does the personalized iTBS target TMS protocol improve clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia within real-world treatment settings? What neural circuit changes, as assessed by functional MRI, occur following TMS treatment? Participants will: Undergo personalized,personalized iTBS target treatment daily for 2 weeks. Complete baseline and post-treatment assessments, including clinical symptom scales (PANSS, HAMA, HAMD) and neuropsychological tests (MoCA, DST, VFT, Stroop Test, and AVLT). Have structural and resting-state functional MRI scans before and after treatment. Be monitored for any treatment-related adverse events.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Accelerated Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation and Accelerated Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression

In recent years, research on the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients with treatment-resistant depression (RTD) has been steadily increasing. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of accelerated unilateral application of two different forms of theta burst stimulation (TBU), a variation of repetitive TMU (rTMS)-intermittent TBU (iTBU) and continuous TBU (cTBU)-in TDD patients. The study aimed to compare the advantages of iTBU and cTBU protocols on depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety levels, sleep disturbances, cognitive performance, and overall functioning following a two-week intensive treatment period and a 12-week follow-up period.

Advantage of Cerebellar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Alzheimer's Diseases （ACT-AD）

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the primary cause of dementia, with its prominent feature being cognitive decline. The cerebellum plays a crucial role in cognitive processing, making it a potential target for therapeutic intervention. This study will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cerebellar Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (CRB-iTBS) in participants with mild Alzheimer's disease on the change from baseline in the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) at 3 months of treatment in the Core Study. This project aims to provide a valid treatment to improve the cognitive function and quality of life for those with Alzheimer's disease.

Effect of Theta-Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TBS) for Freezing of Gait

To investigate the treatment effect of Theta-burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TBS) on patients with freezing of gait (FOG) and the underlying neural mechanism.

Brain Stimulation for Concussion

The goal of this clinical trial is to test a new type of magnetic brain stimulation in patients with persistent post-concussive symptoms. Participants will undergo detailed MRI scans before and after 30 treatment sessions (of 3-10 minutes each). The main questions the study aims to answer are: * Will this new type of treatment result in fewer symptoms and better daily functioning? * What are the effects of this treatment on brain functioning?

Safty and Efficacy of MCI Network Guided TMS for Early Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized, Double-blind Trial

Estimate the safty and efficacy of personalized network neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulations in early Alzheimer's disease patients

Deep TMS of Neural Circuits Associated With Stimulant Use Disorder

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) as a treatment for Veterans with a methamphetamine use disorder (MUD).

Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Treatment-Resistant Depressed Patients

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and around 800,000 suicides occur each year. According to the World Health Organization, major depressive disorder (MDD) is expected to be the leading cause of the global burden of disease by 2030. One third of MDD patients do not respond to first-line pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic antidepressant treatments. New antidepressant treatments that are safe, tolerable, fast-acting, durable and effective are needed. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a promising form of non-invasive brain stimulation with rapid antidepressant and suicide prevention effects in MDD. TMS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment-resistant depression. TMS involves passing an electric current through a magnetic coil placed on the surface of the scalp, producing a high-intensity magnetic field that travels through the scalp, skull and meninges, stimulating neuronal tissue. This in turn causes changes in functional connectivity. The mechanism of TMS on core depressive symptoms is hypothesized to be mediated in part through indirect inhibitory functional connectivity from the left DLPFC to the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC).

The Effects of Focal Muscle Vibration Combined With Exercise on Sensorimotor Activity in Individuals With Chronic Subacromial Impingement Syndrome

Background: Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) is a common shoulder disorder characterized by pain, altered movement patterns, and functional impairment. Forty-four to sixty-five percents of the patients with SIS would develop chronic symptoms. Chronic subacromial impingement syndrome (CSIS) is involved in the alteration of central nervous system, such as somatosensory dysfunction and corticomotor changes. The treatments for these patients usually focus on shoulder control and strengthening exercise but no treatment has been found to be targeted on the alterations in somatosensory dysfunction. Focal muscle vibration (FMV) is a useful tool to provide proprioceptive stimulation and has showed short-term effects of improving sensorimotor performance in both healthy and diseased individuals when combined with exercise. To our knowledge, no study has used FMV combined with shoulder exercise for individuals with shoulder problems. Purpose: To investigate the effects of FMV combined with exercise on somatosensory activity, corticomotor excitability, pain and function in individuals with CSIS. Methods: This is a randomized control trial. We will recruit ninety subjects with CSIS to receive a 12-session treatment protocol of FMV combined with shoulder exercises. The subjects will be randomized into a treatment group or control group. While the treatment group will receive 20-minute FMV when doing strength training, the control group will have the vibrators attached on but without being turned on during strength training. Both groups will have a 10-20 minutes of shoulder control training following the FMV protocol. The outcomes will be measured before and after the 12-session treatment protocol and include measures of somatosensory activity (using Electroencephalography, EEG), corticomotor excitability (using transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS), pressure pain threshold, depression scale, pain intensity in a numerical rating scale, and shoulder function. The somatosensory measures include somatosensory-evoked potentials and event-related potentials during arm elevation. Corticomotor measures include motor evoked potentials, active and rest motor threshold and cortical silent period as well as intracortical inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms. Shoulder function will be measured with the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand scale, the patient-specific functional scale, and the global rating of change scale. Statistical analysis: The continuous and categorical variables of basic data will be analyzed by and independent t test and a Chi-square test, respectively. A two-way mixed ANOVA will be used to test between-group and within-group intervention effects. If there is a significant interaction effect, post hoc pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction will be used. The alpha level is set at 0.05.

Effects of Low-intensity Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Major Depressive Disorder, and on 5-hydroxyindoleacetic Acid and Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels

The goal of this randomised clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on major depressive disorder (MDD) and on the levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). TMS works to treat MDD by using low-intensity magnetic fields to modulate certain areas of the brain, activating them which can help improve the mood of those suffering from the disorder. Final metabolites of serotonin such as 5-HIAA and growth factors such as BDNF will also be studied before starting the intervention and at the end to check if there is a significant change in their concentration. Likewise, its safety will be evaluated by monitoring the symptoms that they present at the end of the intervention and one month later. The main questions that are intended to be answered are: * Does low-intensity TMS reduce depressive symptoms in patients with MDD? * Does low-intensity TMS significantly change the initial and final concentrations of 5-HIAA and BDNF? * What adverse effects might patients who are exposed to low-intensity TMS experience? The researchers will compare low-intensity and accelerated TMS with sham TMS to see if low-intensity TMS works to treat MDD. Participants: * Will undergo an initial clinical assessment to confirm the disorder, comorbidities, and general health status. * A 5 mL blood sample will be taken before starting the intervention. * Low-intensity TMS will be applied for 4 days, 5 daily sessions of 200 s with 10-minute intersession intervals at a field intensity of 2-4 milliTesla (mT) and frequency of 50 Hz in theta bursts. Symptoms will be monitored daily. * A 5 mL blood sample will be taken at the end of the intervention and general health status clinimetrics will be reapplied.

Long Term Efficacy and Safety of TMS Targeting Cerebellum to Treat DRE

This study aims to observe the long term efficacy and safety of cerebellar continuous θ burst stimulation (cTBS) for drug-resistant Epilepsy during enhanced and maintenance phase，in order to provide a new treatment for long-term control of drug-resistant epilepsy and improve the quality of life of those patients. A total of 100 patients with DRE will undergo cTBS treatment by precise navigation to bilateral cerebellar dentate nuclei. The frequency and clinical feature of seizures, scalp EEG，clinical score, MOCA，MMSE，and QOLIE-31 were ssessed at baseline, after 2 weeks of enhanced phase，8 weeks of consolidate phase, and 8 weeks of maintenance phase.

Evaluating Combined Electromagnetic Stimulation for Enhanced Physical and Psychological Recovery in Athletes with DOMS

This randomized controlled trial explores the impact of a combined transcranial and peripheral electromagnetic stimulation over the potential correlation between psychological well-being and recovery outcomes of young athletes experiencing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

Precision Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression Based on Orbital Frontal Cortex-habenula Circuitry

Thirty depressed patients will be recruited to select individualized transcranial magnetic stimulation targets based on individual orbital frontal cortex and habenula functional activity connectivity for 10 or 20 treatments to assess the efficacy and safety of this intervention

Precision Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Patients With Post-stress Sleep Disorders

This is a randomized, double-blind controlled study that recruited patients with insomnia problems after suffering a stressful event to undergo individualized transcranial magnetic stimulation

Individualized rTMS for Motor Recovery in Stroke Patients

This study aimed to aim to investigate the efficacy of individualized rTMS according to lateralization index on motor recovery and cortical excitability in subacute stroke patients.

Effect of Theta Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Patients with Dysphagia After Stroke

The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of Theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TBS) on swallowing function in patients with dysphagia after stroke (PSD). Functional near- infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to detect the changes in activation and functional connectivity of related brain regions in PSD patients treated with intermittent TBS（iTBS）stimulation on the affected side and consistent TBS（cTBS） stimulation on the healthy side. To investigate the effects of TBS on swallowing related cortical excitability in stroke patients with dysphagia and explore its possible mechanism, and provide theoretical basis for the treatment of PSD patients.