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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1509483
This article is part of the Research Topic Advances in Brain Imaging and Stimulation Methods for Cognitive Function Investigation Volume II View all 3 articles

Effect of continuous theta burst stimulation on the glymphatic system, brain network and cognitive function in patients with cerebral small vessel disease

Provisionally accepted
Pei Dai Pei Dai 1Huixian Yu Huixian Yu 1Zhaoxia Wang Zhaoxia Wang 1Sihao Liu Sihao Liu 1Changbin Liu Changbin Liu 1Guang-qing Xu Guang-qing Xu 2*
  • 1 Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  • 2 Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: We aim to investigate the impact of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) on glymphatic system (GS), brain network (BN) and cognition in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Methods: This exploratory study included a small cohort of 11 patients, divided into a cTBS group (6 patients) and a sham-cTBS group (5 patients). Over a period of two weeks, all participants underwent cTBS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The efficiency of the GS was assessed by along the perivascular space (ALPS) index. BN was measured using global efficiency (GE), characteristic path length (CPL) and clustering coefficient (Cp). Cognition was evaluated by Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Results: In the cTBS group, the ALPS index increased 4 out of 6 after treatment, compared to an increase in only 2 out of 5 in the control. Improvements in GE, CPL and Cp were observed in 4 out of 6 patients in the cTBS group, whereas no improvements were noted in the control group. The MoCA scores for all patients in the cTBS improved after treatment. Additionally, completion times of the Stroop color and word test C (Stroop C) were reduced for all individuals in the cTBS group, while the control saw an increase in one case. The digital span test-backward (DST-backward) scores were significantly higher in the cTBS group than those in the control. Conclusion: Applying cTBS to the DLPFC in CSVD may enhance the efficiency of brain glymphatic clearance, optimize network connectivity and improve cognitive function to a certain extent.

    Keywords: Cerebral small vessel disease, Continuous theta burst stimulation, Glymphatic system, brain network, Cognition

    Received: 11 Oct 2024; Accepted: 24 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Dai, Yu, Wang, Liu, Liu and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Guang-qing Xu, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, Guangdong Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.