An exploratory study assessing TMS plasticity deficits in patients with AD and aMCI in comparison to healthy controls

15.12.2015 bis 30.06.2017

The synaptic hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) posits that abnormal synaptic function and synaptic plasticity precede as primary events the later neurodegneration. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the magnitude of long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity induced by paired associative transcranial magnetic stimulation in different stages of AD, i.e. amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients and mild-to-moderate AD, in comparison to age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The hypothesis is that LTP-like plasticity is reduced in aMCI and AD. If this is confirmed then LTP-like plasticity could be utilized as a biomarker in future clinical trials that will test novel drugs to improve abnormal plasticity in AD.