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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
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Transcranial Pulse Stimulation for Alzheimer's Patients
Published on: April 4, 2025
Individual alpha peak frequency tracks Alzheimer's disease progression: A longitudinal pilot study
Ruimin Wang1, Takao Yamasaki2, Takako Mitsudo2,3
1Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga, Japan.
Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Individual alpha peak frequency (IAPF) shows promise as a biomarker for tracking Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. This electroencephalography (EEG) measure declines over time in AD patients, correlating with cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomarkers
- Neurodegenerative diseases
Background:
- Early and accurate tracking of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression is crucial for effective intervention.
- Electrophysiological biomarkers for long-term neurodegenerative changes in AD are underexplored.
- Individual alpha peak frequency (IAPF) is an electroencephalography (EEG)-derived measure of neural oscillatory activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate IAPF as a longitudinal biomarker for AD progression.
- To assess the relationship between IAPF, cognitive function (MMSE), and time in AD patients.
- To compare longitudinal IAPF changes in AD patients with healthy controls (HC).
Main Methods:
- Annual EEG and cognitive assessments (MMSE) were conducted over 2-7 years in 27 AD patients (aged 63-91).
- IAPF was extracted from resting-state EEG; longitudinal associations were analyzed using correlation and mixed-effects models.
- Annual IAPF changes in AD patients were compared to age-stratified HC (aged 20-70).
Main Results:
- AD patients exhibited significant longitudinal declines in both IAPF and MMSE scores.
- IAPF decline was positively associated with MMSE score decline and better explained by follow-up time.
- AD patients showed a significantly steeper annual IAPF decline compared to all HC age subgroups.
- Spectral analysis revealed increased theta power and decreased alpha/beta power, indicating spectral slowing.
Conclusions:
- IAPF is a non-invasive, temporally sensitive, and clinically accessible biomarker for monitoring AD progression.
- Longitudinal IAPF changes reflect neurodegenerative processes in AD.
- IAPF offers a valuable tool for tracking disease trajectory and potential treatment effects.
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