Comparing methylphenidate with rTMS for alzheimer disease
Official title: rTMS for Apathy Clinical Trial
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Apathy Clinical Trial (REACT)
Interventions
rTMS
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
methylphenidate
methylphenidate
Canadian Sites (1)
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for10 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +mild or major neurocognitive disorder OR mild behavioural impairment
- +Apathy for at least 4 weeks
- +Stable dose of medication (\>4 weeks) that may affect cognition or behaviour
- +Care partner who spends at least 10 hours a week with the subject
Exclusion
- −Current major depressive episode
- −Agitation, delusions, hallucination
- −Medical contraindications to rTMS
- −Currently taking an amphetamine product
- −Central nervous system abnormalities, Tourette's syndrome, or motor tics
- −Current participation in another clinical trialInterventional studyA study where participants are given something to see what happens.Read more →
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
What is being given or done in this study: rTMS, methylphenidate.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
- armsInterventionsModule.interventions[].name
How the study is run
Groups are assigned by the study team using set rules, rather than by chance.
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
There are 2 groups in this study.
From the trial registry
Built from this field:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Who the study is looking for
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 10 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around December 2026.
The main measurement is taken over: 2 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Neuropsychiatric Inventory-apathy — measured over 2 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT05561205 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About rTMSDevice
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About methylphenidateDrug
methylphenidate
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a drug is here: A medicine — a chemical or small-molecule treatment — given as the thing being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
Groups are assigned by the study team using set rules, rather than by chance.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: 2 weeks.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2026-12-01.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 10 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Apathy is a common, early, and disabling symptom in dementias and mild behavioural impairment such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is characterized by lack of interest and enthusiasm. Both repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation, and methylphenidate, a medication, have been shown to improve apathy. This pilot study will investigate rTMS as a treatment for apathy in neurocognitive disorders and mild behavioural impairment in individuals receiving methylphenidate and individuals not receiving medication for apathy.
Worth passing on?
Save it to the Care Package and send it to them, or to their doctor, in one message. Whether they follow it up is theirs to decide.
Review the Care PackageThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.