title: Effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on action naming in patients with Alzheimer disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on picture naming in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study. Patients with AD underwent rTMS in real and control conditions during picture-naming tasks.
  
  
  METHODS
  San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli Scientific Institute in Brescia, Italy. Patients Fifteen patients with probable AD. Intervention High-frequency rTMS was applied to the left and right DLPFC during object and action naming.
  
  
  METHODS
  Language ability was assessed by accuracy of verbal response during online rTMS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stimulation to the left and right DLPFC improved accuracy in action naming.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that rTMS to the DLPFC, which speeds up action naming in normal controls, improves performance in patients with AD. While the mechanisms of rTMS-induced naming facilitation in these patients are unknown, the procedure may be worth testing as a novel approach to the treatment of language dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Recovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cotelli
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manenti
authors.forename: Stefano F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Cappa
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geroldi
authors.forename: Orazio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: Paolo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miniussi
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009275:Names; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*