Can brain zaps and cycling boost aging minds?
NCT ID NCT07652775
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether combining repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with aerobic exercise can improve thinking skills, mood, and walking ability in older adults who have mild cognitive impairment and depression. Participants, aged 65 to 90, will be randomly assigned to receive rTMS alone, rTMS plus stationary cycling, or a sham treatment plus cycling over 5 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in memory, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and gait before and after the program and at a one-month follow-up.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and aerobic exercise
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to improve memory, mood, and mobility in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and depression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 45 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effects may be modest or not last beyond the study period.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cheng Hsin General Hospital
RECRUITINGTaipei, Taipei City, 112, Taiwan
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