Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in elderly with mild cognitive impairment: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique with therapeutic potential for various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
• Current research lacks extensive data on longer-term tDCS usage protocols, specifically regarding optimal duration and frequency for cognitive enhancement in aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of a twice-weekly tDCS protocol over an extended period for improving memory in elderly individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial involving 58 participants over 60 years old with MCI.
• Anodal tDCS was administered at 2.0 mA for 30 minutes per session, twice weekly for 10 sessions, targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLFC).
• Cognitive assessments included CAMCOG, MMSE, Trail Making, Semantic Verbal Fluency, Boston Naming, Clock Drawing, Word List Memory Test (WLMT), and digit span tests before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in the tDCS group for CAMCOG executive functioning, verbal fluency, and memory recall, as well as WLMT recall.
• A notable decline in CAMCOG constructional praxis performance was recorded in the tDCS group post-intervention.
• No significant differences were found between the tDCS and sham groups for other cognitive tasks evaluated.

Conclusions:

• Twice-weekly tDCS application (2 mA, 30 min) over five weeks demonstrated superior efficacy compared to placebo in enhancing memory recall, verbal fluency, and executive functions in elderly individuals with MCI.
• The findings suggest that tDCS is a promising non-invasive intervention for cognitive rehabilitation in mild cognitive impairment.