Alzheimer DiseaseREACTNCT05561205
rTMS for Apathy Clinical Trial
A study testing rTMS and methylphenidate in people with Alzheimer Disease and Apathy in Dementia, run by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Alzheimer Disease, Apathy in Dementia, Dementia
- What is being tested?
- rTMS and methylphenidate
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 10 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 9 Feb 2023to 1 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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
Who cannot join
- 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 trial
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5
Carla Zucchero-Sarracini, 416-480-6100 ext. 63185, memoryresearch@sunnybrook.ca
Krista L Lanctôt, PhD
About this study
Official title: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Apathy Clinical Trial (REACT)
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.
- Conditions
- Alzheimer Disease, Apathy in Dementia, Dementia, Mild Behavioural Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Neurocognitive Disorders
- Being tested
- rTMS, methylphenidate
- Keywords
- Apathy, Alzheimer's disease, Neurocognitive disorder, Mild behavioural impairment
- Medical subject headings
- Alzheimer Disease, Dementia, Cognitive Dysfunction, Neurocognitive Disorders, Lethargy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
rTMSDevice
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
methylphenidateDrug
methylphenidate
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| rTMS + methylphenidate | Experimental | repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and methylphenidate Receives: Device: rTMS; Drug: methylphenidate |
| rTMS only | Experimental | repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) only Receives: Device: rTMS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neuropsychiatric Inventory-apathy
Measure of apathy on a scale from 0 to 12 with a higher score indicating greater apathy
Measured: 2 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Sep 2022
- Study start9 Feb 2023
- Primary completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Alzheimer DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05561205
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SUN-5342
- Acronym
- REACT
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Sep 2022
- Last updated
- 13 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Apathy Clinical Trial (REACT)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05561205
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- REACT / SUN-5342
- Conditions
- Alzheimer Disease, Apathy in Dementia, Dementia, Mild Behavioural Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Neurocognitive Disorders
- Keywords
- Apathy, Alzheimer's disease, Neurocognitive disorder, Mild behavioural impairment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 9 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 30 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| rTMS + methylphenidate | Experimental | Device: rTMS, Drug: methylphenidaterepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and methylphenidate |
| rTMS only | Experimental | Device: rTMSrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) only |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 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
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| rTMSrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation | Device | rTMS + methylphenidate, rTMS only |
| methylphenidatemethylphenidate | Drug | rTMS + methylphenidate |
Primary outcome
Neuropsychiatric Inventory-apathy
Time frame: 2 weeks
Measure of apathy on a scale from 0 to 12 with a higher score indicating greater apathy
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Apr 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing rTMS and methylphenidate in people with Alzheimer Disease and Apathy in Dementia, run by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Neuropsychiatric Inventory-apathy (time frame: 2 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Apr 2026.