New review article: The Potential of Brain Stimulation Techniques in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is clinically characterized by progressive cognitive decline, affecting memory, language, orientation, and behaviour. Neural oscillations, also known as brain waves, are integral to cognitive processes but become dysregulated in AD, contributing to network dysfunction and memory impairments. Targeting these oscillations has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. A new review article summarizes key findings from studies on neural oscillations as therapeutic targets in AD and discusses various invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques – including Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS).1
Effects of Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS)
In the section on TPS, the authors write: TPS utilizes single, ultrashort, repetitive pulses to reach very deep brain structures, allowing doctors to adapt the stimulation parameters to better correspond to an individual targeted patient’s treatment. TPS induces neuroplasticity changes through metabolic, vascular, and neurotrophic modifies. It has been shown to induce measurable neurophysiological changes in power (frontal and occipital), coherence (frontal, occipital, and temporal), entropy (temporal and frontal), and cross-frequency coupling (parietal–frontal, parietal–temporal, frontal–temporal) between distant brain regions2, thus improving functional connectivity within memory networks and global cognition3. A recent randomized clinical trial of TPS in patients with AD has shown that TPS can improve cognitive scores and ameliorate depressive symptoms in a subgroup of younger patients by inducing upregulation of functional brain activation and connectivity.4
An exciting new dimension in AD research and treatment
The authors point out that all the neuromodulation techniques discussed in their review have shown promising results in advancing our understanding of AD and its treatment, albeit with varying degrees of success and differing risk–benefit profiles. Emerging approaches such as TPS hold promise for refining therapeutic strategies. As these therapies advance and become more accessible, we move closer to the goal of modulating brain rhythms to preserve and enhance cognitive function, which ultimately offers new approaches in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
1. Palacino F, Manganotti P, Benussi A. Targeting Neural Oscillations for Cognitive Enhancement in Alzheimer's Disease. Medicina (Kaunas). 2025;61(3):547. Published 2025 Mar 20. doi:10.3390/medicina61030547
2. Wojtecki L, Cont C, Stute N, Galli A, Schulte C, Trenado C. Electrical brain networks before and after transcranial pulsed shockwave stimulation in Alzheimer's patients. Geroscience. 2025;47(1):953-964. doi:10.1007/s11357-024-01305-x
3. Fong TKH, Cheung T, Ngan STJ, et al. Transcranial pulse stimulation in the treatment of mild neurocognitive disorders. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2023;10(10):1885-1890. doi:10.1002/acn3.51882
4. Matt E, Mitterwallner M, Radjenovic S, et al. Ultrasound Neuromodulation With Transcranial Pulse Stimulation in Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(2):e2459170. Published 2025 Feb 3. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.59170
