P29: Anti-dementia drugs and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in neurocognitive disorders

Abstract

Objectives: The Objectives of this study is to demonstrate the response of patients with neurocognitive disorders to a combination of antidementia drugs and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).

Methods: We conducted a descriptive and retrospective study with a sample of 13 geriatric patients, randomly selected from the private psychogeriatric clinic at the Nina Institute of Clinical Neurosciences in Santo Domingo. These patients were presented with various neurocognitive disorders: 3 with mild cognitive impairment, 3 with Alzheimer’s dementia, 2 with vascular dementia, and 5 with mixed dementia. All patients signed an informed consent form. Prior to starting rTMS treatment, they underwent EEG, laboratory analysis, and neuropsychological testing using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Additionally, they were medicated with rivastigmine (12 mg) and memantine (20 mg). The rTMS parameters for the 20-session protocol were as follows: for mild cognitive impairment, 110% motor threshold (MT), 10 Hz, and 2,000 pulses; for Alzheimer’s diagnosis, 80% MT, 20 Hz, 1,200 pulses, 80% MT, 5 Hz, 600 pulses, and theta wave at 10 Hz, 110% MT, and 2,500 pulses. The results were tabulated, and consistent were drawn.

Results: Our findings showed that all the patients improved their levels of cognitive impairment.

Conclusions: Patients improved their cognitive impairment level with the combination treatment of antidementia drugs: cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, along with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a developing treatment, and further clinical studies are needed to confirm its potential in treating Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders alongside antidementia medications.