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Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Effects of 40 Hz tACS Simultaneously with Cognitive Exercises for Dementia: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study
Maria Anabel Uehara, Sumeet Kalia, Mari T. Garcia Campuzano, Mohammad Jafari Jozani, Brian Lithgow, Zahra Moussavi. Medicina, 2025-04-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Real tACS paired with cognitive exercises significantly improved ADAS-Cog scores post-treatment compared to pre-treatment (p-value = 0.019), whereas sham tACS did not. Furthermore, real tACS produced significant long-term improvements approximately 2–3 months post-treatment in ADAS-Cog scores compared to sham (p-value = 0.048). Both real (p-value = 0.003) and sham (p-value = 0.015) tACS significantly reduced NPI-Q scores post-treatment. MADRS scores significantly improved (p-value = 0.007) post-treatment for real tACS but not sham. The 40 Hz tACS paired with cognitive exercises improves cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and depression post-treatment in dementia, with sustained cognitive effects. The findings highlight its potential as a non-invasive therapeutic intervention for dementia.
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APA 7th
Uehara, M. A., Kalia, S., Campuzano, M. T. G., Jozani, M. J., Lithgow, B., & Moussavi, Z. (2025). Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Effects of 40 Hz tACS Simultaneously with Cognitive Exercises for Dementia: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study. Medicina. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61040757
Vancouver
Uehara MA, Kalia S, Campuzano MTG, Jozani MJ, Lithgow B, Moussavi Z. Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Effects of 40 Hz tACS Simultaneously with Cognitive Exercises for Dementia: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study. Medicina. 2025. doi:10.3390/medicina61040757. PMID: 40283048.
BibTeX
@article{uehara2025-40283048,
author = {Uehara, Maria Anabel and Kalia, Sumeet and Campuzano, Mari T. Garcia and Jozani, Mohammad Jafari and Lithgow, Brian and Moussavi, Zahra},
title = {{Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Effects of 40 Hz tACS Simultaneously with Cognitive Exercises for Dementia: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study}},
journal = {Medicina},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/medicina61040757},
pmid = {40283048},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61040757}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Real tACS paired with cognitive exercises significantly improved ADAS-Cog scores post-treatment compared to pre-treatment (p-value = 0.019), whereas sham tACS did not.
- Furthermore, real tACS produced significant long-term improvements approximately 2–3 months post-treatment in ADAS-Cog scores compared to sham (p-value = 0.048).
- Both real (p-value = 0.003) and sham (p-value = 0.015) tACS significantly reduced NPI-Q scores post-treatment.
- MADRS scores significantly improved (p-value = 0.007) post-treatment for real tACS but not sham.
- The 40 Hz tACS paired with cognitive exercises improves cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and depression post-treatment in dementia, with sustained cognitive effects.
Why it matters
In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study, 40 Hz tACS paired with cognitive exercises improved ADAS-Cog scores after treatment and about 2-3 months later compared with sham, and improved MADRS depression scores. Both real and sham tACS reduced NPI-Q neuropsychiatric scores, so that particular improvement was not specific to the real treatment.
Study details
- Participants42
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Medicina) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Medicina: journal h-index 107 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 42 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomized and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 11 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 11 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Zahra Moussavi: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Manitoba: institution h-index 666 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40283048) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
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