Using MRI to guide brain stimulation for memory improvement

Spatiotemporally Precise Neuromodulation by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Guided by Multimodal Neuroimaging

This study is testing a new way to boost memory by using MRI scans to guide brain stimulation for people with mild cognitive impairment and healthy individuals.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 160 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 80 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (Toronto, Ontario)
• Trial ID: NCT06050603 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This interventional study aims to develop a personalized approach to enhance brain activity using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) guided by MRI and EEG. Participants will undergo MRI scans to identify specific brain areas for stimulation, and TMS will be applied to modulate activity in these regions. The study will involve multiple visits to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, where participants will be screened and assessed for eligibility. The goal is to improve the effectiveness of TMS in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and healthy participants.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include healthy adults aged 18-65 and individuals aged 50-80 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Not a fit: Patients with a history of neurological impairments or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to improved memory function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

How similar studies have performed: While TMS has been used in various contexts, this specific approach combining MRI and EEG for targeted stimulation is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria for Healthy participants:

* Ages between 18 and 65 years;
* Healthy with no history of neurological impairment;
* Normal or correct-to-normal vision.

Inclusion Criteria for aMCI patients:

* Age 50-80 years;
* MCI clinical criteria: (a) self- or informant-reported cognitive complaint; (b) preserved independence in functional abilities; and (c) absence of dementia;
* Objective cognitive impairment supported by the following measures of general cognitive function: (a) Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) 24-27 (inclusive); (b) Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) 18-26 (inclusive); or (c) Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score of 0.5;
* Normal or correct-to-normal vision.

Exclusion Criteria for all participants:

* Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
* History of seizure (childhood febrile seizures are acceptable and these subjects may be included in the study), history of epilepsy in self or first degree relatives, stroke, brain tumor, brain surgery, head injury, known structural brain lesion;
* Have metal in the eye or skull area, brain stimulator, surgical metal, clips in the brain, cochlear implants, mental fragments in the eye, as these make TMS unsafe;
* Have non-MRI compatible metal in the body, for example metallic (forromagnetic) implants (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, aneurysm clip);
* Subjects who are uncomfortable in small closed spaces (have claustrophobia), unable to lie comfortably supine for up to 1 hour, and would feel uncomfortable in the MRI machine;
* Participation in any other study involving non-invasive brain stimulation less than two weeks ago;
* Abnormal findings on neurological examination that we will perform.

Where this trial is running

Toronto, Ontario

• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre — Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Fa-Hsuan Lin, PhD — Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Study coordinator: Fa-Hsuan Lin, PhD

Conditions Normal Physiology; Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Memory Impairments