Christine Krebs1, Jessica Peter2, Patric Wyss2, Anna-Katharine Brem3, Stefan Klöppel2. 1. University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: christine.krebs@upd.unibe.ch. 2. University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. 3. University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Neuropsychology, Lucerne Psychiatry, Lucerne, Switzerland; Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of transcranial direct (tDCS) or alternating current stimulation (tACS) in boosting cognitive training efficiency in healthy older adults. We further explored whether such improvements depend on general cognitive performance or age. METHODS: In this randomized, sham-controlled study, 59 healthy elderly participants (mean age 71.7) were assigned to receive computer-based cognitive training (10 sessions, 50 min, twice weekly) combined with tDCS (2 mA), tACS (5 Hz), or sham stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (20 minutes). Cognitive performance was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and a cognitive composite score derived from a broad neuropsychological test battery before and immediately after the intervention as well as at 6 and 12 months follow-ups. RESULTS: Performance in the cognitive composite score improved significantly in all groups but was not further modulated by neurostimulation. Additional analyses revealed that participants with a low initial MoCA score (<1SD) improved significantly more in the tDCS than in the sham group. CONCLUSION:TDCS increased the efficacy of cognitive training, but only in participants with initially low general cognitive performance. SIGNIFICANCE: Cognitive interventions including tDCS should address baseline performance as modulating factor of cognitive outcomes.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of transcranial direct (tDCS) or alternating current stimulation (tACS) in boosting cognitive training efficiency in healthy older adults. We further explored whether such improvements depend on general cognitive performance or age. METHODS: In this randomized, sham-controlled study, 59 healthy elderly participants (mean age 71.7) were assigned to receive computer-based cognitive training (10 sessions, 50 min, twice weekly) combined with tDCS (2 mA), tACS (5 Hz), or sham stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (20 minutes). Cognitive performance was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and a cognitive composite score derived from a broad neuropsychological test battery before and immediately after the intervention as well as at 6 and 12 months follow-ups. RESULTS: Performance in the cognitive composite score improved significantly in all groups but was not further modulated by neurostimulation. Additional analyses revealed that participants with a low initial MoCA score (<1SD) improved significantly more in the tDCS than in the sham group. CONCLUSION: TDCS increased the efficacy of cognitive training, but only in participants with initially low general cognitive performance. SIGNIFICANCE: Cognitive interventions including tDCS should address baseline performance as modulating factor of cognitive outcomes.
Authors: Andrea Antal; Bruce Luber; Anna-Katharine Brem; Marom Bikson; Andre R Brunoni; Roi Cohen Kadosh; Veljko Dubljević; Shirley Fecteau; Florinda Ferreri; Agnes Flöel; Mark Hallett; Roy H Hamilton; Christoph S Herrmann; Michal Lavidor; Collen Loo; Caroline Lustenberger; Sergio Machado; Carlo Miniussi; Vera Moliadze; Michael A Nitsche; Simone Rossi; Paolo M Rossini; Emiliano Santarnecchi; Margitta Seeck; Gregor Thut; Zsolt Turi; Yoshikazu Ugawa; Ganesan Venkatasubramanian; Nicole Wenderoth; Anna Wexler; Ulf Ziemann; Walter Paulus Journal: Clin Neurophysiol Pract Date: 2022-05-25
Authors: Ana C Teixeira-Santos; Célia S Moreira; Diana R Pereira; Diego Pinal; Felipe Fregni; Jorge Leite; Sandra Carvalho; Adriana Sampaio Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2022-04-12 Impact factor: 5.750