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. 2023 Sep 15;15(1):155.
doi: 10.1186/s13195-023-01297-4.

Home-based transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in Alzheimer's disease: rationale and study design

Daniele Altomare  1 , Alberto Benussi  1   2 , Valentina Cantoni  1 , Enrico Premi  3 , Jasmine Rivolta  1 , Chiara Cupidi  4 , Alessandro Martorana  5 , Emiliano Santarnecchi  6 , Alessandro Padovani  1   2 , Giacomo Koch  7   8 , Barbara Borroni  9   10
Affiliations

Home-based transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in Alzheimer's disease: rationale and study design

Daniele Altomare et al. Alzheimers Res Ther. .

Abstract

Background: Gamma (γ) brain oscillations are dysregulated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can be modulated using transcranial alternating stimulation (tACS). In the present paper, we describe the rationale and design of a study assessing safety, feasibility, clinical and biological efficacy, and predictors of outcome of a home-based intervention consisting of γ-tACS over the precuneus.

Methods: In a first phase, 60 AD patients will be randomized into two arms: ARM1, 8-week precuneus γ-tACS (frequency: 40 Hz, intensity: 2 mA, duration: 5 60-min sessions/week); and ARM2, 8-week sham tACS (same parameters as the real γ-tACS, with the current being discontinued 5 s after the beginning of the stimulation). In a second phase, all participants will receive 8-week γ-tACS (same parameters as the real γ-tACS in the first phase). The study outcomes will be collected at several timepoints throughout the study duration and include information on safety and feasibility, neuropsychological assessment, blood sampling, electroencephalography, transcranial magnetic stimulation neurotransmitter measures, and magnetic resonance imaging or amyloid positron emission tomography.

Results: We expect that this intervention is safe and feasible and results in the improvement of cognition, entrainment of gamma oscillations, increased functional connectivity, reduction of pathological burden, and increased cholinergic transmission.

Conclusions: If our expected results are achieved, home-based interventions using γ-tACS, either alone or in combination with other therapies, may become a reality for treating AD.

Trial registration: PNRR-POC-2022-12376021.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Biomarkers; Cognition; Electrical stimulation; Memory; tACS.

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Conflict of interest statement

Daniele Altomare received funding by the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer, and the Swiss National Science Foundation (project CRSK-3_196354 / 1).

Alberto Benussi was partially supported by the Airalzh-AGYR2020, by Fondazione Cariplo (grant n° 2021–1516), and by the Fondation pour la Recherche sur Alzheimer.

Emiliano Santarnecchi was partially supported by the NIH (R01 AG060981-01) and ADDF-TreatFTD fund (ADDF-FTD GA201902–2017902).

Barbara Borroni served as medical advisor for Alector, Denali, Wave, AviadoBio, Lilly and UCB.

The other authors have nothing to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
BrainSync-AD study design AD, Alzheimer’s disease; γ, gamma; tACS, transcranial alternating current stimulation; EEG, electroencephalography; TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PET, positron emission tomography; T00, baseline; T08, 8-week follow-up; T16, 16-week follow-up; T24, 24-week follow-up. Safety and feasibility will be constantly monitored throughout the duration of the study. Neuropsychological assessment, blood sampling, EEG, and TMS will be collected at T00, T08, T16, and T24. MRI and amyloid-PET will be collected at T00 and T08
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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