The goal of this phase II study is to establish the dose-response curves of a safe and clinically feasible non-invasive brain stimulation technique (accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)) to improve both depression and cognitive function in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients with comorbid depression. It is known that TMS can effectively treat depression. Identifying the right dose of accelerated TMS in MCI patients is necessary prior to designing subsequent trials to determine efficacy. These results will inform future clinical trials of accelerated TMS for MCI, with the long-term goal of developing an efficacious treatment to prevent dementia.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a heterogenous syndrome of cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms, with as much as 40% of patients being diagnosed with comorbid depression. The goal of this phase II trial is to establish the functional form of the dose-response curves for accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) to ameliorate depression and cognitive function in MCI. Identifying the right dose is necessary prior to designing subsequent trials to ascertain the efficacy of accelerated iTBS for MCI. In our two phase I trials, we chose treatment parameters based on robust prior literature on accelerated, high-dose rTMS delivery (i.e. accelerated iTBS, 600 pulses at 50 Hz per session), intensity (at 120% resting motor threshold \[rMT\]), stimulation site left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-dlPFC), and site targeting (Beam F3). The course of treatment was guided by our clinical experience with mild cognitive impairment and vascular cognitive impairment patients as to what we hypothesized they would comfortably tolerate, which was confirmed by the acceptability ratings. In this phase II trial, we focus on manipulating one dosing parameter - total number of active pulses - to rigorously model the dose-response curves such that future phase II/III trials can be more efficient, decrease treatment burden, and accelerate response time. Aim 1: Establish the dose-response curves for reduced depression following accelerated iTBS in MCI. Aim 2: Establish the dose-response curves for improved cognition following accelerated iTBS in MCI. Exploratory Aim 1: Examine alterations in functional connectivity following accelerated iTBS-rTMS in MCI. Exploratory Aim 2: Examine blood-based biomarkers of neurodegeneration as effect modifiers.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
The investigators will treat participants with accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation. iTBS will be delivered via a MagVenture MagPro TMS System with a Cool-B65 coil, targeting to direct the stimulation to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-dlPFC). The investigators will use a standard resting motor threshold (rMT) determination to determine the TMS dose. Treatment will be delivered at 120% of the motor threshold. Total treatment time will be controlled; all participants will perceive receiving active treatment for 10 3-min sessions with 10-15 min inter-session intervals, resulting in a 3-hour treatment day. At pre-treatment, a focal electrical sham will be individually titrated to participant tolerability. Participants then receive an individualized level of sham stimulation throughout treatment, to bolster the blind. Participants will be told that they will be receiving different doses throughout the treatment day, again to maintain the integrity of the blind.
To achieve adequate blinding, participants will go through the same number of sessions per day irrespective of the active and/or sham dose-step combination to which they are assigned. Sham sessions will be assigned in random order over the 10 sessions. The sequence of active and/or sham sessions for each treatment day is assigned a random code that is entered into the TMS system by the coordinator to maintain the integrity of the blind.
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
RECRUITINGChange in Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) raw score
The GDS is a \~3 minute self-report questionnaire of depression symptoms to which respondents answer yes/no (range=0-30, where higher scores indicate greater depression severity). Co-Participants will complete an informant-reported short form.
Time frame: Week 0 (1 week pre-treatment), Week 3 (1 week post-treatment), Week 10 (8 weeks post-treatment), and Week 26 (6 months post-treatment)
Change in NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) Fluid Composite
The NIHTB-CB is a performance-based, iPad-administered \~30-minute suite of 7 tests that ascertain abilities in different cognitive domains (i.e. executive function, episodic memory, working memory, processing speed, language). It was developed using advanced psychometric techniques to minimize measurement error and produces normed subtest and composite scores. We will use the fully-corrected T-score (range T=0-100; Mean T=50, SD=10; higher scores indicating better cognition) of the Fluid Cognition Composite (normed for age, sex, years of education, and race/ethnicity) to more accurately reflect global, dynamic thinking abilities that reflect the presence of disease or the impact of interventions, and not premorbid influences on test scores.
Time frame: Week 0 (1 week pre-treatment), Week 3 (1 week post-treatment), Week 10 (8 weeks post-treatment), and Week 26 (6 months post-treatment)
Change in PROMIS Depression T-score
The PROMIS Depression scale is a self-report questionnaire of affective and cognitive symptoms to which respondents rate the frequency with which they experience the symptom on a 5-point scale (from 1-"Never" to 5-"Always") in the past 7 days. It is a computer adaptive test given as a REDCap survey, takes 1-2 minutes to complete, and yields a normed T-score (range T=0-100; Mean T=50, SD=10; higher scores indicate greater depression severity).
Time frame: Week 0 (1 week pre-treatment), Week 3 (1 week post-treatment), Week 10 (8 weeks post-treatment), and Week 26 (6 months post-treatment)
Change in Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study scale for Activities of Daily Living in MCI (ADCS-ADL-MCI)
This 18-item clinician-administered structured interview is given to co-participant informants and assesses the participant's ability to accomplish activities of daily living (independently, with supervision, or with help) within the past 4 weeks, with high scores indicating greater ability (raw score range=0-57).
Time frame: Week 0 (1 week pre-treatment) Week 10 (8 weeks post-treatment), and Week 26 (6 months post-treatment)
Change in Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale Sum of Boxes
This clinician-administered structured interview is given to both participants and their co-participant informants to assesses the participant's abilities in six domains (i.e. Memory, Orientation, Judgment \& Problem Solving, Community Affairs, Home \& Hobbies, and Personal Care), rating each domain on a 5-point scale, with the sum of these 6 "box scores" indicating greater symptom severity (raw score range=0-18)
Time frame: Week 0 (1 week pre-treatment) Week 10 (8 weeks post-treatment), and Week 26 (6 months post-treatment)
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