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High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Cognitive Function in Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: An Open-label Pilot Study Informed by Cross-sectional Analysis
Shanshan Cao, Baogen Du, Yuanyuan Liu, Shihao Ruan, Wenchen Sun, Ying Zhang, Jinying Yang, Panpan Hu et al.. Current Neuropharmacology, 2026-05-16
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
In part 1 of the study, the patients with CSVD showed significant differences in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT)-study, AVLT-immediate, AVLT-delay, AVLT-recognition, Trail Making Test (TMT)-A, TMT-B, and Verbal Fluency Test -fruits/vegetables compared with HCs. Meanwhile, left hippocampal subregions to whole-brain resting state-functional connectivity (rs-FC) analysis showed that the rs-FC strength between the hippocampal cognitive subregion (HIPc) and both the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and the right medial superior frontal gyrus significantly altered in patients with CSVD compared with HCs, suggesting that the prefrontal cortex is a stimulation target of HD-tDCS. In part 2 of the study, performance on the MoCA, AVLT-study, AVLT-delay, SDMT, and digit span test improved in 20 patients with CSVD after 14 days of HD-tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. At the same time, the rs-FC strength between HIPc and the alteration cluster found in the first part of the study, located in the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, was decreased after treatment. HD-tDCS may help normalize brain network function and improve cognitive function in patients with CSVD by reducing rs-FC between the hippocampus and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Further research is needed to refine treatment plans and evaluate the long-term effects of HD-tDCS on cognitive function in patients with CSVD. The patients with CSVD exhibited altered rs-FC in the hippocampal-prefrontal circuit. HD-tDCS could modulate this circuit and improve cognitive function in patients with CSVD.
Key findings
- In part 1 of the study, the patients with CSVD showed significant differences in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT)-study, AVLT-immediate, AVLT-delay, AVLT-recognition, Trail Making Test (TMT)-A, TMT-B, and Verbal Fluency Test -fruits/vegetables compared with HCs.
- Meanwhile, left hippocampal subregions to whole-brain resting state-functional connectivity (rs-FC) analysis showed that the rs-FC strength between the hippocampal cognitive subregion (HIPc) and both the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and the right medial superior frontal gyrus significantly altered in patients with CSVD compared with HCs, suggesting that the prefrontal cortex is a stimulation target of HD-tDCS.
- In part 2 of the study, performance on the MoCA, AVLT-study, AVLT-delay, SDMT, and digit span test improved in 20 patients with CSVD after 14 days of HD-tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
- At the same time, the rs-FC strength between HIPc and the alteration cluster found in the first part of the study, located in the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, was decreased after treatment.
- HD-tDCS may help normalize brain network function and improve cognitive function in patients with CSVD by reducing rs-FC between the hippocampus and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Why it matters
In this open-label pilot study, 20 patients with cerebral small vessel disease showed improved scores on several cognitive tests after 14 days of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The authors say further research is needed to refine treatment plans and evaluate the approach, so this is early preliminary evidence.
Study details
- Participants104
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 39 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Current Neuropharmacology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Current Neuropharmacology: journal h-index 141 (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 | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 104 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Qiang Wei holds only 4 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Science and Technology of China: institution h-index 1,001 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42163676) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 37 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 39 out of 100. |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Cao, S., Du, B., Liu, Y., Ruan, S., Sun, W., Zhang, Y., et al. (2026). High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Cognitive Function in Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: An Open-label Pilot Study Informed by Cross-sectional Analysis. Current Neuropharmacology. https://doi.org/10.2174/011570159x421474260311080532
Vancouver
Cao S, Du B, Liu Y, Ruan S, Sun W, Zhang Y, et al. High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Cognitive Function in Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: An Open-label Pilot Study Informed by Cross-sectional Analysis. Current Neuropharmacology. 2026. doi:10.2174/011570159x421474260311080532. PMID: 42163676.
BibTeX
@article{cao2026-42163676,
author = {Cao, Shanshan and Du, Baogen and Liu, Yuanyuan and Ruan, Shihao and Sun, Wenchen and Zhang, Ying and Yang, Jinying and Hu, Panpan and others},
title = {{High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Cognitive Function in Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: An Open-label Pilot Study Informed by Cross-sectional Analysis}},
journal = {Current Neuropharmacology},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.2174/011570159x421474260311080532},
pmid = {42163676},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2174/011570159x421474260311080532}
}
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