Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Background Non-invasive brain stimulation has improved cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and some studies suggest a close relationship between cognition and plasticity. However, the clinical benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients still nee...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | General Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/36/6/e101166.full |
| _version_ | 1797212970965532672 |
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| author | Hui Zhu Lei Chen Dongsheng Zhou Hui Yan Xingxing Li Wenhao Zhuang Kunqiang Yu Wenqiang Xu Gangqiao Qi Shaochang Wu |
| author_facet | Hui Zhu Lei Chen Dongsheng Zhou Hui Yan Xingxing Li Wenhao Zhuang Kunqiang Yu Wenqiang Xu Gangqiao Qi Shaochang Wu |
| author_sort | Hui Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Non-invasive brain stimulation has improved cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and some studies suggest a close relationship between cognition and plasticity. However, the clinical benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients still need to be evaluated.Aims This study examined the role of tDCS in improving cognition and whether the improved cognition is related to altered cortical plasticity.Methods 124 patients with AD were randomly assigned to active tDCS (n=63) or sham tDCS (n=61). The tDCS was applied at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 30 treatment sessions across 6 weeks (5 days per week, 2 days off). The Mini-Mental State Examination and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) were used for cognition evaluation at baseline, week 2 and week 6. The cortical plasticity was represented by motor-evoked potential (MEP) measured with an electromyogram.Results The results showed that multiple courses of active tDCS can improve the cognitive functions of patients with AD, especially in the memory domain (word recall, recall of test instructions and word recognition). In addition, the damaged MEP level was enhanced following active treatment. In the active tDCS group, the improvements in ADAS-Cog total and subitem (word recall and word recognition) scores were negatively correlated with the enhancement of MEP.Conclusions Our research indicates for the first time that twice-a-day tDCS may improve the cognitive function of patients with AD. This study also suggests that cognitive dysfunction may be related to impaired cortical plasticity, which warrants mechanistic investigations of the relationship between cognition and plasticity in the future.Trial registration number ChiCTR1900021067. |
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| id | doaj.art-46377ec3d4164876afb4bf3cf79e8df2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2517-729X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:50:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | General Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-46377ec3d4164876afb4bf3cf79e8df22024-04-12T11:15:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupGeneral Psychiatry2517-729X2023-12-0136610.1136/gpsych-2023-101166Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s diseaseHui Zhu0Lei Chen1Dongsheng Zhou2Hui Yan3Xingxing Li4Wenhao Zhuang5Kunqiang Yu6Wenqiang Xu7Gangqiao Qi8Shaochang Wu93 Department of Psychiatry, Yu Yao Third People’s Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China3 Department of Psychiatry, Yu Yao Third People’s Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, ChinaDepartment of Mental Rehabilitation, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China5 Department of Psychiatry, Taizhou Second People`s Hospital, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China2 Ningbo Key Laboratory for Physical Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental and Psychological Disorders, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China1 Department of Psychiatry, Ningbo Kangning Hospital & Affiliated Mental Health Centre, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, ChinaDepartment of Mental Rehabilitation, The Second People`s Hospital of Lishui, Lishui, Zhejiang, China4 Department of Psychiatry, Second People’s Hospital of Lishui, Lishui, Zhejiang, China5 Department of Psychiatry, Taizhou Second People`s Hospital, Taizhou, Zhejiang, ChinaDepartment of Mental Rehabilitation, The Second People`s Hospital of Lishui, Lishui, Zhejiang, ChinaBackground Non-invasive brain stimulation has improved cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and some studies suggest a close relationship between cognition and plasticity. However, the clinical benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients still need to be evaluated.Aims This study examined the role of tDCS in improving cognition and whether the improved cognition is related to altered cortical plasticity.Methods 124 patients with AD were randomly assigned to active tDCS (n=63) or sham tDCS (n=61). The tDCS was applied at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 30 treatment sessions across 6 weeks (5 days per week, 2 days off). The Mini-Mental State Examination and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) were used for cognition evaluation at baseline, week 2 and week 6. The cortical plasticity was represented by motor-evoked potential (MEP) measured with an electromyogram.Results The results showed that multiple courses of active tDCS can improve the cognitive functions of patients with AD, especially in the memory domain (word recall, recall of test instructions and word recognition). In addition, the damaged MEP level was enhanced following active treatment. In the active tDCS group, the improvements in ADAS-Cog total and subitem (word recall and word recognition) scores were negatively correlated with the enhancement of MEP.Conclusions Our research indicates for the first time that twice-a-day tDCS may improve the cognitive function of patients with AD. This study also suggests that cognitive dysfunction may be related to impaired cortical plasticity, which warrants mechanistic investigations of the relationship between cognition and plasticity in the future.Trial registration number ChiCTR1900021067.https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/36/6/e101166.full |
| spellingShingle | Hui Zhu Lei Chen Dongsheng Zhou Hui Yan Xingxing Li Wenhao Zhuang Kunqiang Yu Wenqiang Xu Gangqiao Qi Shaochang Wu Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease General Psychiatry |
| title | Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease |
| title_full | Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease |
| title_fullStr | Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease |
| title_short | Impact of twice-a-day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease |
| title_sort | impact of twice a day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with alzheimer s disease |
| url | https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/36/6/e101166.full |
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