Alzheimer disease and neuroplasticity
Giacomo Koch1, Danny Spampinato2
1Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|January 17, 2022
Summary
Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves early synaptic dysfunction, detectable through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS measures neuroplasticity, aiding diagnosis and predicting progression, with rTMS offering a promising therapeutic avenue for cognitive enhancement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia in the elderly.
- Current treatments are limited due to incomplete understanding of AD pathophysiology.
- Synaptic dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a central, early event in AD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review novel neurophysiologic signatures of AD identified by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
- To explore the role of TMS in measuring synaptic dysfunction and neuroplasticity in AD.
- To discuss the therapeutic potential of non-invasive brain stimulation for AD.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent TMS studies focusing on neurophysiologic markers in AD.
- Analysis of TMS-measured cortical plasticity, specifically long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity.
- Examination of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a therapeutic intervention.
Main Results:
- TMS can identify early synaptic dysfunction signatures in AD.
- Impaired LTP-like cortical plasticity is a key feature of AD synaptic dysfunction.
- TMS-based measurements can improve diagnostic accuracy and predict disease trajectory.
Conclusions:
- TMS offers valuable insights into AD pathophysiology and progression.
- Enhanced neuroplasticity through interventions like rTMS shows promise for improving cognition in AD patients.
- rTMS represents a potential therapeutic strategy for managing cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases.
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