Effects of short- and long-term neurostimulation (tDCS) on Alzheimer’s disease patients: two randomized studies

Background: Non-invasive brain stimulation is an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Aims: The purpose of the two studies presented here is to compare the short- and long-term effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (t-DCS) on two samples of advanced AD patients. Methods: In Study 1 26 patients were involved in a 10-day anodal vs. sham tDCS intervention stimulating the left frontotemporal cortex. A pre–post test assessment was run using two different neurocognitive tests and EEG data. The same protocol was used in Study 2, which involved 18 different patients who underwent the same intervention 10 days a month for 8 months. Results: Results confirmed how the t-DCS intervention was effective both in the short- and the long-term to slow down the progression of AD on specific neurophysiological domains and, to a certain extent, on neurophysiological activity.