A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early AD
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are debilitating diseases that affect millions of individuals and have notoriously limited treatment options. One emerging therapy, non-invasive 40 Hz sensory therapy delivered through light and sound has previously shown promise in improv...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/14/2040 |
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| author | Sienna D. McNett Andrey Vyshedskiy Andrei Savchenko Danijel Durakovic George Heredia Rael Cahn Mikhail Kogan |
| author_facet | Sienna D. McNett Andrey Vyshedskiy Andrei Savchenko Danijel Durakovic George Heredia Rael Cahn Mikhail Kogan |
| author_sort | Sienna D. McNett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are debilitating diseases that affect millions of individuals and have notoriously limited treatment options. One emerging therapy, non-invasive 40 Hz sensory therapy delivered through light and sound has previously shown promise in improving cognition in Alzheimer Disease (AD) rodent models. Small studies in humans have proven safe and tolerable, however exploration of feasibility and utility is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of this treatment in a human population through a smart tablet application that emits light and sound waves at 40 Hz to the user over the span of 1 h a day. Confirmation of entrainment of 40 Hz stimulation in the cerebral cortex was performed via EEG. 27 preliminary subjects with subjective cognitive complaints, Mild Cognitive Impairment, or AD were enrolled in the study; 11 participants completed 6 months of therapy. Of those that discontinued treatment, other health issues and difficulties with compliance were the most common causes. Participants were followed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and Boston Cognitive Assessment (BOCA). For participants with subjective cognitive complaints, 2 of the 4 had improved MOCA score and 1 of 4 had improved BOCA score. For the participant with MCI, his MOCA score improved. For AD participants, 2 out of 6 had improved MOCA score and 3 of the 6 stayed stable, while 3 of 6 BOCA score improved. 4 of 11 participants specifically increased their MOCA scores in the Memory Index section. Of the 8 participants/caregivers able to speak to perceived usefulness of the study, 6 spoke to at least some level of benefit. Of these 6, 2 enrolled with subjective cognitive complaint, 1 had MCI, and 3 had AD. The therapy did not have reported side effects. However, those who did not finish the study experienced issues obtaining and operating a smart tablet independently as well as complying with the therapy. Overall, further exploration of this treatment modalities efficacy is warranted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:01:55Z |
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| id | doaj.art-ac21d2c4c6c0405584b2e8f2a7233e97 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:01:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac21d2c4c6c0405584b2e8f2a7233e972023-11-18T19:33:06ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-07-011114204010.3390/healthcare11142040A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early ADSienna D. McNett0Andrey Vyshedskiy1Andrei Savchenko2Danijel Durakovic3George Heredia4Rael Cahn5Mikhail Kogan6Center for Integrative Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USAMET, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USAAlzheimer’s Light, Miami, FL 33626, USAAlzheimer’s Light, Miami, FL 33626, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USACenter for Integrative Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USAAlzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are debilitating diseases that affect millions of individuals and have notoriously limited treatment options. One emerging therapy, non-invasive 40 Hz sensory therapy delivered through light and sound has previously shown promise in improving cognition in Alzheimer Disease (AD) rodent models. Small studies in humans have proven safe and tolerable, however exploration of feasibility and utility is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of this treatment in a human population through a smart tablet application that emits light and sound waves at 40 Hz to the user over the span of 1 h a day. Confirmation of entrainment of 40 Hz stimulation in the cerebral cortex was performed via EEG. 27 preliminary subjects with subjective cognitive complaints, Mild Cognitive Impairment, or AD were enrolled in the study; 11 participants completed 6 months of therapy. Of those that discontinued treatment, other health issues and difficulties with compliance were the most common causes. Participants were followed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and Boston Cognitive Assessment (BOCA). For participants with subjective cognitive complaints, 2 of the 4 had improved MOCA score and 1 of 4 had improved BOCA score. For the participant with MCI, his MOCA score improved. For AD participants, 2 out of 6 had improved MOCA score and 3 of the 6 stayed stable, while 3 of 6 BOCA score improved. 4 of 11 participants specifically increased their MOCA scores in the Memory Index section. Of the 8 participants/caregivers able to speak to perceived usefulness of the study, 6 spoke to at least some level of benefit. Of these 6, 2 enrolled with subjective cognitive complaint, 1 had MCI, and 3 had AD. The therapy did not have reported side effects. However, those who did not finish the study experienced issues obtaining and operating a smart tablet independently as well as complying with the therapy. Overall, further exploration of this treatment modalities efficacy is warranted.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/14/2040Alzheimer’s DiseaseMild Cognitive Impairmentlight therapyintegrative medicinetechnologysmart device |
| spellingShingle | Sienna D. McNett Andrey Vyshedskiy Andrei Savchenko Danijel Durakovic George Heredia Rael Cahn Mikhail Kogan A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early AD Healthcare Alzheimer’s Disease Mild Cognitive Impairment light therapy integrative medicine technology smart device |
| title | A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early AD |
| title_full | A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early AD |
| title_fullStr | A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early AD |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early AD |
| title_short | A Feasibility Study of AlzLife 40 Hz Sensory Therapy in Patients with MCI and Early AD |
| title_sort | feasibility study of alzlife 40 hz sensory therapy in patients with mci and early ad |
| topic | Alzheimer’s Disease Mild Cognitive Impairment light therapy integrative medicine technology smart device |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/14/2040 |
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