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Predicting the Beneficial Effects of Cognitive Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment with Clinical, Inflammation, and Human Microglia Exposed to Serum as Potential Markers: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial
Ruth Alcalá‐Lozano, Rocio Carmona-Hernández, Ana Gabriela Ocampo-Romero, Adriana Leticia Sosa-Millán, E. Morelos-Santana, Diana Zapata Abarca, Dana Vianey Castro-de-Aquino, Edith Araceli Cabrera-Muñoz et al.. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025-02-19
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
In amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), neuroinflammation evolves during disease progression, affecting microglial function and potentially accelerating the pathological process. Currently, no effective treatment exists, leading to explorations of various symptomatic approaches, though few target the underlying physiological mechanisms. Modulating inflammatory processes may be critical in slowing disease progression. Cognitive stimulation (CS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC) show promise, but the results are heterogeneous. Thus, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is currently underway. The first-stage results were examined after three weeks of intervention in two groups: active tDCS combined with CS and sham tDCS combined with CS. Twenty-two participants underwent two assessments: T0 (baseline) and T1 (after 15 sessions of tDCS, active or sham, and 9 sessions of CS). The results demonstrated that CS improved cognition, increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and reduced peripheral proinflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin IL-6 and chemokine CX3CL1) in serum. This decrease in IL-6 may promote microglial proliferation and survival as a modulatory effect response, while the increase in BDNF might suggest a regulatory mechanism in microglia-neuron interaction responses. However, tDCS did not enhance the cognitive or modulatory effects of CS, suggesting that longer interventions might be required to achieve substantial benefits.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Alcalá‐Lozano, R., Carmona-Hernández, R., Ocampo-Romero, A. G., Sosa-Millán, A. L., Morelos-Santana, E., Abarca, D. Z., et al. (2025). Predicting the Beneficial Effects of Cognitive Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment with Clinical, Inflammation, and Human Microglia Exposed to Serum as Potential Markers: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041754
Vancouver
Alcalá‐Lozano R, Carmona-Hernández R, Ocampo-Romero AG, Sosa-Millán AL, Morelos-Santana E, Abarca DZ, et al. Predicting the Beneficial Effects of Cognitive Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment with Clinical, Inflammation, and Human Microglia Exposed to Serum as Potential Markers: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025. doi:10.3390/ijms26041754. PMID: 40004217.
BibTeX
@article{alcalalozano2025-40004217,
author = {Alcalá‐Lozano, Ruth and Carmona-Hernández, Rocio and Ocampo-Romero, Ana Gabriela and Sosa-Millán, Adriana Leticia and Morelos-Santana, E. and Abarca, Diana Zapata and Castro-de-Aquino, Dana Vianey and Cabrera-Muñoz, Edith Araceli and others},
title = {{Predicting the Beneficial Effects of Cognitive Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment with Clinical, Inflammation, and Human Microglia Exposed to Serum as Potential Markers: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial}},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/ijms26041754},
pmid = {40004217},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041754}
}
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.
Key findings
- Cognitive stimulation (CS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC) show promise, but the results are heterogeneous.
- The first-stage results were examined after three weeks of intervention in two groups: active tDCS combined with CS and sham tDCS combined with CS.
- The results demonstrated that CS improved cognition, increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and reduced peripheral proinflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin IL-6 and chemokine CX3CL1) in serum.
- However, tDCS did not enhance the cognitive or modulatory effects of CS, suggesting that longer interventions might be required to achieve substantial benefits.
Why it matters
In this ongoing double-blind placebo-controlled trial, first-stage results after three weeks showed that cognitive stimulation improved cognition, increased BDNF levels and reduced peripheral proinflammatory cytokines in people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The authors suggest modulating inflammatory processes may be critical in slowing disease progression, but these are early results from a trial still underway.
Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International Journal of Molecular Sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | International Journal of Molecular Sciences: journal h-index 426 (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 | 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 | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.1× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Jorge Julio Gonzalez-Olvera: h-index 15 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México: institution h-index 668 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40004217) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3390/ijms26041754
- PubMed: 40004217
- Original source →
- Free full text: International Journal of Molecular Sciences →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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