Effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on quality of life in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease / 中国医师进修杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on behavioral and psychological symptoms and quality of life in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD).Methods:Forty mild and moderate patients who met the diagnostic criteria of AD in the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases from May 2017 to December 2018 in the Seventh People′s Hospital of Wenzhou City were selected and divided into the control group (20 cases) and the rTMS group (20 cases) according to random number list. The control group was treated with basic treatment while the rTMS group was treated with rTMS on the basis of the basic treatment. The scores of AD assessment scale-cognitive section (ADAS-cog), mini mental state examination (MMSE), neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI), activity daily living (ADL), and quality of life in AD (QOL-AD) were observed and compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results:There were no significant differences in ADAS-cog, MMSE, NPI, ADL, and QOL-AD scores between the rTMS group and the control group before treatment ( P>0.05). After treatment, the MMSE, ADL, and QOL-AD scores of the rTMS group were significantly higher than those of the control group (22.80 ± 3.83) scores vs.(20.30 ± 5.49) scores, (63.05 ± 17.24) scores vs. (54.15 ± 9.20) scpres, (37.55 ± 7.94) scores vs. (31.00 ± 11.45) scores; the ADAS-cog and NPI scores were significantly lower (18.45 ± 4.16) scores vs.(22.15 ± 5.01) scores, (57.2 ± 16.25) scores vs. (72.65 ± 39.37) scores, (27.15 ± 7.53) scores vs. (34.65 ± 14.91) scores, and there were significantly differences ( P<0.05). At the same time, the MMSE, ADL, and QOL-AD scores of the rTMS group were significantly higher than those before treatment, the ADAS-cog and NPI scores were significantly lower, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:rTMS can effectively improve the behavioral and psychological symptoms of patients with mild to moderate AD and significantly improve the quality of life.