Research on Key Techniques of Individualized Precision Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Working Memory in Alzheimer's Disease

Wang He, PhD, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College,

Abstract: The main clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is working memory impairment. Studies have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the prefrontal and parietal cortex can improve the working memory performance of patients. However, the existing technology is unable to individualized and accurately locating the magnetic stimulation target, resulting in poor treatment effect, and seriously affecting the in-depth development of rTMS technology in the clinical precision treatment of AD.

Present project intends to locate the magnetic stimulation target based on the individualized cortico-hippocampal connectivity, and provide key technical and theoretical support for the individualized and precise treatment of AD with rTMS.

1) Realize the software module construction of individualized cortico-hippocampal connectivity based on Granger causality model to locate magnetic stimulation targets. 2) Module integration and testing based on the precision positioning and navigation system of transcranial magnetic stimulation. 3) Analyze the individual differences in stimulation target location based on magnetic resonance imaging experiments. 4) Combining rTMS memory behavior experiments to provide theoretical support for this project.

Individualized and precise positioning of magnetic stimulation targets can significantly improve the stability and reliability of the clinical treatment of AD with rTMS. Therefore, in response to the above problems, this project proposes a magnetic stimulation target location method based on individualized cortico-hippocampal connectivity, accurately locates the position with the strongest functional connectivity to the hippocampus on each subject's prefrontal and parietal cortex as magnetic stimulation target to guide rTMS, and the research results of the project are expected to provide an accurate and easy-to-operate method for positioning and marking magnetic stimulation targets for the clinical application of individualized treatment of AD with rTMS.