A recent six-week, randomized, controlled, double-blind study found that non-invasive brain stimulation techniques can significantly improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients. This discovery is General psychiatryopening new avenues for managing conditions for which there are currently limited treatment options.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (often abbreviated as tDCS) is a type of painless, non-invasive brain stimulation. This requires the use of a device that sends a low-intensity electrical current to the brain. It is thought that this electrical current may change the function of brain cells and improve cognitive abilities. Unlike other forms of brain stimulation, tDCS does not require surgery and is generally considered safe with minimal side effects.
Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain disorder, severely affects memory and thinking skills, reducing a person's ability to perform the simplest tasks. Current treatments primarily use drugs, which have limited effectiveness and a risk of side effects, especially in older people with other health problems.
Previous research suggests that brain stimulation techniques like tDCS may improve cognitive performance in healthy people as well as those with mental health conditions. This led a team of researchers from China's Zhejiang province to explore the potential of his tDCS for Alzheimer's patients, especially considering the need for more effective and less invasive treatment options.
The study was conducted over two and a half years and included 140 patients recruited from Ningbo Kangjing Hospital, Lishui Second People's Hospital, Taizhou Second People's Hospital, and Yuyao Third People's Hospital from January 2020 to July 2022. Participants participated. The participants were all diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and were divided into two groups. One group received active brain stimulation, and the other control group received a sham treatment, which simulated the actual treatment, but had no treatment effect.
The treatment involved placing sponge electrodes on specific areas of the head and providing stimulation for 20 minutes twice a day. The current was directed to the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is a region of the brain responsible for complex functions such as planning, decision-making, working memory, regulating social behavior, and overseeing certain elements of speech and language.
This routine was continued 5 days a week for 6 consecutive weeks for a total of 30 sessions. Participants did not know whether they were receiving real or sham treatment.
Of the total sample, 133 patients successfully completed the 2-week intervention and 124 completed the 6-week intervention. Participants had a variety of reasons for dropping out, but no one cited discomfort as a reason for dropping out.
After six weeks of treatment, the group that received real brain stimulation showed significant improvements in a variety of cognitive functions compared to baseline measurements at the start of the study. These improvements were not observed in the sham-treated group.
More specifically, the treatment group's improvements were significant in areas such as memory recall, instruction comprehension, and word recognition. Additionally, an assessment called the Mini-Mental State Examination, a standard tool used to measure cognitive impairment, showed significant improvement in the treatment group.
Interestingly, the study also measured a concept known as motor-evoked potentials, which is a measure of neuroplasticity. This refers to the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. After six weeks, the treatment group showed increased neuroplasticity, indicating a potential link between stimulation and improved brain function.
Although the results are promising, this study has several limitations. First, although the sample size was substantial, it was still limited. More extensive studies are needed to confirm these findings. Second, the study did not include neuroimaging tests such as MRI scans, which could provide more insight into how brain stimulation affects brain networks. Third, this study lacked the long-term follow-up needed to understand the duration of treatment effects. Future research will likely focus on these areas and integrate more comprehensive neuroimaging and biological markers to improve our understanding of the role of brain stimulation in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
the study, “Effects of twice-daily transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortical plasticity in Alzheimer's disease patients” authors are Xingxing Li, Lei Chen, Kunqiang Yu, Wenhao Zhuang, Hui Zhu, Wenqiang Xu, Hui Yan, Gangqiao Qi, Dongsheng Zhou, and Shaochang Wu.
