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Neuromodulation and cognition in late-life depression
Mina Mirjalili, Daniel M Blumberger, Andre R Brunoni, Benoit H Mulsant, Tarek K Rajji. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2026-01-17
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
Late-life depression (LLD) is associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia. Emerging evidence indicates that impaired cortical synaptic plasticity (due to multiple causes including genetic, developmental, neurodegenerative, vascular conditions, chronic stress, and chronic inflammation) may drive this vulnerability. We focus on how disruptions in prefrontal cortex plasticity related to depression contribute to dementia risk and review plasticity-inducing non-surgical neuromodulations. These neuromodulations include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), and focused ultrasound (FUS). These strategies could promote cortical plasticity and, in turn, improve network connectivity and prefrontal function, potentially reducing cognitive decline. Then, we discuss future directions that prioritize personalized, mechanism-based interventions, and use preclinical models to optimize neuromodulation protocols. These approaches aim to address the heterogeneity of LLD and improve outcomes by tailoring treatments based on individual characteristics.
Key findings
- Late-life depression (LLD) is associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia.
- Emerging evidence indicates that impaired cortical synaptic plasticity (due to multiple causes including genetic, developmental, neurodegenerative, vascular conditions, chronic stress, and chronic inflammation) may drive this vulnerability.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 45 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41545465) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 25 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 45 out of 100. |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Mirjalili, M., Blumberger, D. M., Brunoni, A. R., Mulsant, B. H., & Rajji, T. K. (2026). Neuromodulation and cognition in late-life depression. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-026-02323-3
Vancouver
Mirjalili M, Blumberger DM, Brunoni AR, Mulsant BH, Rajji TK. Neuromodulation and cognition in late-life depression. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2026. doi:10.1038/s41386-026-02323-3. PMID: 41545465.
BibTeX
@article{mirjalili2026-41545465,
author = {Mirjalili, Mina and Blumberger, Daniel M and Brunoni, Andre R and Mulsant, Benoit H and Rajji, Tarek K},
title = {{Neuromodulation and cognition in late-life depression}},
journal = {Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1038/s41386-026-02323-3},
pmid = {41545465},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-026-02323-3}
}
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