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Home-Based Gamma Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Cantoni V, Casula EP, Tarantino B, Cupidi C, Huber N, Altomare D, Premi E, Zummo E et al.. JAMA network open, 2025-12-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Results Sixty consecutive patients with prodromal or mild AD were screened; 50 were randomized to gamma or sham tACS (mean [SD] age, 67.3 [7.8] years; 25 [50.0%] female and 25 [50.0%] male). A significant enhancement in global cognitive functions, activities of daily living, and associative memory performances was observed. Marginal mean differences between the sham vs gamma tACS groups were significant for the Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes (0.35; 95% CI, 0.10-0.61; P = .007), Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (0.93; 95% CI, 0.50-1.36; P = .001), Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (-0.55; 95% CI, -0.89 to -0.21; P = .02), and Face-Name Association Test (-1.14; 95% CI, -1.66 to -0.61; P ≤ .001). During the open-label phase, a significant marginal mean difference was observed for Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (-0.59; 95% CI, -1.02 to -0.16; P = .007), Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (0.41; 95% CI, 0.04-0.08; P = .02), and Face-Name Association Test (1.04; 95% CI, 0.50-1.57; P = .003). No add-on effect was observed after 2 repeated treatments with gamma tACS, suggesting that 8 rather than 16 weeks of treatment represents the ideal duration. These findings support further investigation of gamma tACS as a potential therapeutic intervention for AD.
Key findings
- Results Sixty consecutive patients with prodromal or mild AD were screened; 50 were randomized to gamma or sham tACS (mean [SD] age, 67.3 [7.8] years; 25 [50.0%] female and 25 [50.0%] male).
- A significant enhancement in global cognitive functions, activities of daily living, and associative memory performances was observed.
- Marginal mean differences between the sham vs gamma tACS groups were significant for the Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes (0.35; 95% CI, 0.10-0.61; P = .007), Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (0.93; 95% CI, 0.50-1.36; P = .001), Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (-0.55; 95% CI, -0.89 to -0.21; P = .02), and Face-Name Association Test (-1.14; 95% CI, -1.66 to -0.61; P ≤ .001).
- During the open-label phase, a significant marginal mean difference was observed for Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (-0.59; 95% CI, -1.02 to -0.16; P = .007), Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (0.41; 95% CI, 0.04-0.08; P = .02), and Face-Name Association Test (1.04; 95% CI, 0.50-1.57; P = .003).
- No add-on effect was observed after 2 repeated treatments with gamma tACS, suggesting that 8 rather than 16 weeks of treatment represents the ideal duration.
Why it matters
In 50 patients with prodromal or mild Alzheimer's disease, home-based gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation was linked to better scores on global cognition, daily living and associative memory than sham. The authors say these findings support further investigation, so this is not yet an established treatment or cure.
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Study details
- Study designopen-label trial
- Effect size50.0%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 70/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA network open) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | JAMA Network Open: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| 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 | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 20 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.1× 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 | 2 / 4 | Cited 20 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Barbara Borroni: h-index 88 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Massachusetts General Hospital: institution h-index 2,057 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 16 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41359335) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 70 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.46556
- PubMed: 41359335
- Original source →
- Free full text: JAMA Network Open →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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
Cantoni, V., Casula, E. P., Tarantino, B., Cupidi, C., Huber, N., Altomare, D., et al. (2025). Home-Based Gamma Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA network open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.46556
Vancouver
Cantoni V, Casula EP, Tarantino B, Cupidi C, Huber N, Altomare D, et al. Home-Based Gamma Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA network open. 2025. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.46556. PMID: 41359335.
BibTeX
@article{cantoni2025-41359335,
author = {Cantoni, V. and Casula, E. P. and Tarantino, B. and Cupidi, C. and Huber, N. and Altomare, D. and Premi, E. and Zummo, E. and others},
title = {{Home-Based Gamma Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial}},
journal = {JAMA network open},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.46556},
pmid = {41359335},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.46556}
}
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