Temporal-Targeted Accelerated 40 Hz tACS Enhances Cognitive Function and Network Integration in Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Active 40 Hz temporal stimulation was associated with better change on the ADAS-Cog total score, memory and praxis measures than sham. The MMSE comparison was not statistically significant, and the result needs confirmation in larger multicenter studies.

Guo R, Li X, Zou C, Zheng C, Wu X, Lu X, Yan J, Zhang J, Luo X, Ye S, Zhou D.
Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · Publication date: 2026-09-27
Added to site: 2026-09-28
DOI: 10.1002/advs.77851

Electronic publication date verified in Europe PMC. This source date is separate from the site's addition date.

Modalities

tACS, fNIRS, Neuromodulation

Clinical focus

Alzheimer's disease, Cognition, Functional connectivity

Population

People with Alzheimer's disease; the checked abstract does not provide age range or disease-stage criteria

Sample

100 participants randomized 1:1; 85 completed the trial

Intervention / method

Accelerated 40 Hz transcranial alternating-current stimulation over bilateral temporal regions; the checked abstract does not report current intensity, session duration or total session count

Comparator

Sham stimulation

Clinician summary

Group-by-time interactions favored active tACS for ADAS-Cog total (p = 0.010), memory (p = 0.007) and praxis (p = 0.002), but not MMSE (p = 0.075). Week-4 fNIRS analysis identified a 38-connection, 18-node network at family-wise p = 0.010, with active-arm connectivity changes associated with selected cognitive changes.

How to interpret the findings

Fifteen randomized participants did not complete the trial. The abstract does not provide cognitive effect sizes, allocation-specific attrition, stimulation dose, detailed safety results or longer-term functional outcomes. The fNIRS associations do not establish that network change caused cognitive change, and the authors call for larger multicenter trials with biomarkers.

Equipment and disclosures

The checked abstract identifies bilateral temporal 40 Hz tACS and resting-state fNIRS but does not report product names or full technical parameters.

Europe PMC lists five Ningbo and Lishui public or institutional research grants. The PubMed record states that the authors declared no conflicts of interest. Detailed sponsor-role and safety disclosures were not available in the checked abstract.

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