Title:Therapeutic Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Alzheimer’s Disease
VOLUME: 14 ISSUE: 4
Author(s):Irene Gonsalvez, Roey Baror, Peter Fried, Emiliano Santarnecchi and Alvaro Pascual-Leone
Affiliation:Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,, Welcome Trust, MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge; Cambridge,, Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,, Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Laboratory, University of Siena,, Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Kirstein Hall KS 157, Boston, MA 02215
Keywords:Alzheimer's disease, transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS, tDCS, dementia, noninvasive brain stimulation, NBS.
Abstract:Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a looming public health crisis that currently lacks an effective
treatment. Noninvasive Brain Stimulation (NBS), particularly transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), offers a promising alternative approach to pharmacological
interventions for an increasing number of neurological and psychiatric conditions. The aim of this
review is summarize data from therapeutic trials of NBS in AD and other dementing illnesses.
Despite the potential of NBS, there is limited theoretical framework and a lack of guidelines for its applications
to AD. Several published clinical trials failed to report key parameters of the interventions thus
limiting the utility of the study to assess efficacy and safety. Our review concludes with some suggestions
for future studies aimed to advance research into NBS as a potential treatment for the symptoms and
disabilities caused by AD and to enable comparison of results across trials. Ultimately, appropriately
powered, and controlled, multi-site randomized clinical trials will be needed to evaluate the therapeutic
potential of NBS in AD.
