Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2024, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (2): 326-342.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-23-01201

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in Alzheimer’s disease: effects on neural and synaptic rehabilitation

Yi Ji1, 2, Chaoyi Yang1, 2, Xuerui Pang1, 2, Yibing Yan1, 2, Yue Wu1 , Zhi Geng1, 2, Wenjie Hu1, 2, Panpan Hu1, 2, 3, *, Xingqi Wu1, 2, 3, *, Kai Wang1, 2, 4, 5, *   

  1. 1 Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; 2 Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; 3 Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; 4 Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; 5 Department of Psychology and Sleep Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
  • Online:2025-02-15 Published:2024-06-18
  • Contact: Kai Wang, PhD, MD, wangkai1964@126.com; Xingqi Wu, MD, wuxingqi09@163.com; Panpan Hu, MD, hpppanda9@126.com.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center Hefei Brain Project (to KW); the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nos. 31970979 (to KW), 82101498 (to XW); and the STI2030-Major Projects, No. 2021ZD0201800 (to PH).

PDF

216

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease resulting from deficits in synaptic transmission and homeostasis. The Alzheimer’s disease brain tends to be hyperexcitable and hypersynchronized, thereby causing neurodegeneration and ultimately disrupting the operational abilities in daily life, leaving patients incapacitated. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a cost-effective, neuro-modulatory technique used for multiple neurological conditions. Over the past two decades, it has been widely used to predict cognitive decline; identify pathophysiological markers; promote neuroplasticity; and assess brain excitability, plasticity, and connectivity. It has also been applied to patients with dementia, because it can yield facilitatory effects on cognition and promote brain recovery after a neurological insult. However, its therapeutic effectiveness at the molecular and synaptic levels has not been elucidated because of a limited number of studies. This study aimed to characterize the neurobiological changes following repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment, evaluate its effects on synaptic plasticity, and identify the associated mechanisms. This review essentially focuses on changes in the pathology, amyloidogenesis, and clearance pathways, given that amyloid deposition is a major hypothesis in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Apoptotic mechanisms associated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation procedures and different pathways mediating gene transcription, which are closely related to the neural regeneration process, are also highlighted. Finally, we discuss the outcomes of animal studies in which neuroplasticity is modulated and assessed at the structural and functional levels by using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, with the aim to highlight future directions for better clinical translations.

Key words: Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid deposition, apoptotic mechanisms, biomarker, neural regeneration, neurodegeneration, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, synaptic plasticity