A small clinical trial suggests that twice-daily non-invasive electrical stimulation of the brain, known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), may enhance cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s.
This innovative technology aims to stimulate the brain’s plasticity, potentially allowing for the creation of new neural networks.
Understanding tDCS
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) involves the use of a device with two electrodes placed on specific areas of the head.
These electrodes deliver a constant low-intensity electrical current. While tDCS is gaining recognition in various medical applications, such as depression treatment, researchers wanted to explore its potential benefits for Alzheimer’s patients.
The clinical trial involved 140 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease from four different hospitals. They were randomly assigned to receive either active tDCS (constant low-intensity current) or a sham treatment.
The stimulation targeted the prefrontal cortex, a brain region responsible for higher-order functions like decision-making, working memory, and language.
All participants were over 65, had Alzheimer’s for over six months, and had cognitive impairments. Both groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and educational background.
Cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) Test at the start, two weeks, and six weeks into the trial.
The Findings
After two weeks, there was no significant change in either group. However, after 30 daily 20-minute sessions of tDCS, the cognitive function of the tDCS group significantly improved.
This improvement was particularly evident in word recall, recall of test instructions, and word recognition, with no such improvements in the sham group.
Additionally, the study found that cortical plasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections, improved after six weeks of tDCS treatment. Changes in motor evoked potential (MEP), a measure of neural signaling, correlated with improvements in word recall and recognition.
The researchers acknowledge some limitations, such as the small study size and the absence of brain imaging to track structural changes.
However, they conclude that tDCS treatment holds promise for enhancing cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. They also highlight the role of plasticity in cognitive improvement.
Conclusion
This study highlights the potential benefits of electrical brain stimulation through tDCS for Alzheimer’s patients. While more research is needed to understand its mechanisms fully, these findings offer hope for improving cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease , and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
The research findings can be found in General Psychiatry.
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