SynthesisFrontiers in aging neuroscience2025
Comparative efficacy of rTMS on different targets in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques on cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer's disease and MCI: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of traditional Chinese medicine non-pharmacological interventions on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Comparative efficacy and safety of photobiomodulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in Alzheimer's disease: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Lasers in medical science · 2026Article
- Microstates and connectivity states reveal task-related network reorganization in Alzheimer's disease patients.Clinical neurophysiology practice · 2026Article
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation from healthy brain aging to Alzheimer's disease: a review on mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and future clinical directions.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is emerging as a promising non-invasive intervention for Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet therapeutic outcomes remain inconsistent across studies. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the cognitive benefits of rTMS in AD patients, with a specific focus on stimulation targets and protocols variations. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library for relevant English-language studies published up to 31 May 2024. Cognitive outcomes were assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Section (ADAS-Cog). Data were pooled using a random-effects model, with standardized mean difference (SMD) or mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine the effects of stimulation targets, protocol variations and population demographics on rTMS efficacy. Results: Twenty-two studies involving 874 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, rTMS significantly improved cognitive function (SMD = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.14-0.41; Conclusion: rTMS is an effective intervention for cognitive enhancement in AD, with its efficacy significantly influenced by stimulation target and protocol. Notably, the greater cognitive benefits observed in Asian populations suggest a potential role of genetic and demographic factors that warrant further investigation. These findings contribute to the development of optimized, personalized rTMS protocols for AD treatment. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/recorddashboard, CRD42023434084.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.