Targeting the parietal memory network with tDCS in MCI: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a critical transitional phase in dementia.
• Neuropathological changes in MCI affect the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and lateral parietal cortex (LPC).
• Alterations in parietal memory network (PMN) and default mode network (DMN) integrity are observed in MCI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with Alzheimer's disease-MCI (aMCI) and Parkinson's disease-MCI (PD-MCI).
• To explore the potential of tDCS as a neuroprotective tool to mitigate cognitive decline in early-stage neurodegenerative diseases.
• To investigate the neural underpinnings and pro-cognitive outcomes of tDCS in personalized non-invasive brain stimulation research.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled study involving 120 patients (60 aMCI, 60 PD-MCI).
• Patients were randomly assigned to DLPFC or LPC stimulation groups and further classified into real or sham tDCS groups (2:1 ratio).
• tDCS was applied daily for 10 days over 2 weeks with a 2-mA current for 20 minutes; outcomes assessed at 14 and 90 days.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to assess changes in neurocognitive test scores from baseline to follow-up assessments.
• Results are expected to provide insights into the efficacy of tDCS in improving cognitive function in MCI subtypes.
• Potential outcome parameters will be analyzed in the context of existing literature.

Conclusions:

• tDCS shows promise as a neuroprotective intervention for MCI.
• This research contributes to the emerging field of personalized non-invasive brain stimulation for early neurodegenerative diseases.
• Findings are anticipated to elucidate the pro-cognitive effects and neural mechanisms of tDCS in MCI patients.