AUTHOR=Liu Yuanbiao , Fan Lei , Jiang Xinlin , Lu Yi , Li Yige 

TITLE=A case study of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for cryptococcal meningitis combined with cognitive impairment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.1061916

DOI=10.3389/fnhum.2022.1061916

ISSN=1662-5161

ABSTRACT=Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a central nervous system disease caused by a novel Cryptococcus that leads to subacute or chronic inflammatory changes in the nervous system. In this paper, we present a 72-year-old woman with cryptococcal meningitis and severe cognitive impairment and disabilities. Cognitive assessment indicated that although her cognitive function was found impaired, especially executive function, it largely improved after receiving anti-infectious and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy, which can reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α. We argue that this case provided a novel method of treatment for patients with CM in conjunction with cognitive impairments.