TY - JOUR
T1 - Exposure to gamma tACS in Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover, pilot study
AU - Benussi, A.
AU - Cantoni, V.
AU - Cotelli, M. S.
AU - Cotelli, M.
AU - Brattini, C.
AU - Datta, A.
AU - Thomas, C.
AU - Santarnecchi, E.
AU - Pascual-Leone, A.
AU - Borroni, B.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Objective: To assess whether exposure to non-invasive brain stimulation with transcranial alternating current stimulation at γ frequency (γ-tACS) applied over Pz (an area overlying the medial parietal cortex and the precuneus) can improve memory and modulate cholinergic transmission in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD). Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, sham controlled, crossover pilot study, participants were assigned to a single 60 min treatment with exposure to γ-tACS over Pz or sham tACS. Each subject underwent a clinical evaluation including assessment of episodic memory pre- and post-γ-tACS or sham stimulation. Indirect measures of cholinergic transmission evaluated using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pre- and post-γ-tACS or sham tACS were evaluated. Results: Twenty MCI-AD participants completed the study. No tACS-related side effects were observed, and the intervention was well tolerated in all participants. We observed a significant improvement at the Rey auditory verbal learning (RAVL) test total recall (5.7 [95% CI, 4.0 to 7.4], p < 0.001) and long delayed recall scores (1.3 [95% CI, 0.4 to 2.1], p = 0.007) after γ-tACS but not after sham tACS. Face-name associations scores improved during γ−tACS (4.3 [95% CI, 2.8 to 5.8], p < 0.001) but not after sham tACS. Short latency afferent inhibition, an indirect measure of cholinergic transmission evaluated with TMS, increased only after γ-tACS (0.31 [95% CI, 0.24 to 0.38], p < 0.001) but not after sham tACS. Conclusions: exposure to γ-tACS over Pz showed a significant improvement of memory performances, along with restoration of intracortical connectivity measures of cholinergic neurotransmission, compared to sham tACS.
AB - Objective: To assess whether exposure to non-invasive brain stimulation with transcranial alternating current stimulation at γ frequency (γ-tACS) applied over Pz (an area overlying the medial parietal cortex and the precuneus) can improve memory and modulate cholinergic transmission in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD). Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, sham controlled, crossover pilot study, participants were assigned to a single 60 min treatment with exposure to γ-tACS over Pz or sham tACS. Each subject underwent a clinical evaluation including assessment of episodic memory pre- and post-γ-tACS or sham stimulation. Indirect measures of cholinergic transmission evaluated using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pre- and post-γ-tACS or sham tACS were evaluated. Results: Twenty MCI-AD participants completed the study. No tACS-related side effects were observed, and the intervention was well tolerated in all participants. We observed a significant improvement at the Rey auditory verbal learning (RAVL) test total recall (5.7 [95% CI, 4.0 to 7.4], p < 0.001) and long delayed recall scores (1.3 [95% CI, 0.4 to 2.1], p = 0.007) after γ-tACS but not after sham tACS. Face-name associations scores improved during γ−tACS (4.3 [95% CI, 2.8 to 5.8], p < 0.001) but not after sham tACS. Short latency afferent inhibition, an indirect measure of cholinergic transmission evaluated with TMS, increased only after γ-tACS (0.31 [95% CI, 0.24 to 0.38], p < 0.001) but not after sham tACS. Conclusions: exposure to γ-tACS over Pz showed a significant improvement of memory performances, along with restoration of intracortical connectivity measures of cholinergic neurotransmission, compared to sham tACS.
KW - Alzheimer disease
KW - Mild cognitive impairment
KW - Transcranial alternate current stimulation
KW - Transcranial magnetic stimulation
KW - Alzheimer disease
KW - Mild cognitive impairment
KW - Transcranial alternate current stimulation
KW - Transcranial magnetic stimulation
UR - https://publicatt.unicatt.it/handle/10807/177019
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85103081974&origin=inward
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85103081974&origin=inward
U2 - 10.1016/j.brs.2021.03.007
DO - 10.1016/j.brs.2021.03.007
M3 - Article
SN - 1935-861X
VL - 14
SP - 531
EP - 540
JO - Brain Stimulation
JF - Brain Stimulation
IS - 3
ER -