Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Beneficial in Alzheimer Disease
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Dec. 7, 2023 -- For patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may improve cognitive function, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in General Psychiatry.
Xingxing Li, from the Ningbo Kangning Hospital & Affiliated Mental Health Centre at Ningbo University in China, and colleagues examined the role of tDCS in improving cognition among patients with AD. One hundred twenty-four patients were randomly assigned to active tDCS or sham tDCS (63 and 61 patients, respectively), applied at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 30 treatment sessions across six weeks.
The researchers found that multiple courses of tDCS improved the cognitive functions of patients with AD, especially word recall, recall of test instructions, and word recognition in the memory domain. Following active treatment, there was enhancement in the damaged motor-evoked potential (MEP) level. Negative correlations were seen for improvements in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive total and subitem (word recall and word recognition) scores with the enhancement of MEP in the active tDCS group.
"The results of this study strongly indicate that tDCS treatment is a significant and promising intervention for improving cognitive function in AD," the authors write. "Further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between plasticity and cognition."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Read this next
Even Exercising a Few Times a Week Cuts Later Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, Oct. 31, 2024 -- The "weekend warrior" physical activity pattern is associated with a reduced risk for mild dementia over time, according to a study published online...
ED Visit Rate 36.1 per 1,000 Older Adults With Alzheimer Disease
TUESDAY, Oct. 29, 2024 -- For adults aged 65 years and older with Alzheimer disease, the emergency department visit rate was 36.1 visits per 1,000 adults in 2020 to 2022...
Cognitive Therapy, Modafinil, Combo All Beneficial for Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue
FRIDAY, Oct. 25, 2024 -- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), modafinil, and their combination are equally beneficial for multiple sclerosis fatigue, according to a study published...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.