TMS and aging: effects on action and object naming

Word-retrieval difficulties are commonly seen in healthy aging. Interestingly, it has been found that there is an improved ability to name pictures after the administration of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in both young adults and patients with neurological disease. Cotelli and coworkers applied high-frequency rTMS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during object and action naming in a group of healthy older adults. The naming latency for actions was shortened but rTMS was not observed to have any effect on correctness of naming. This study opens up discussion about reversal of some aspects of aging-related decline.
Cotelli M et al.: Action and object naming in physiological aging: an rTMS study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2:151 (2010, Nov 24).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21151376