Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32301028›Full record

Trial reportAging clinical and experimental research2021

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

Antonio Gangemi, Barbara Colombo, Rosa Angela Fabio

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Transcranial direct current stimulation for global cognition in Alzheimer's disease: a systemic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024
    Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Trial
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. A meta-analysis of the effect of non-invasive neuromodulation techniques on improving cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Review
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Antonio GangemiDepartment of Cognitive Science and Education, University of Messina, Messina, ME, Italy.
Barbara ColomboNeuroscience Lab, Champlain College, Burlington, VT, 05402, USA. bcolombo@champlain.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4095-9633
Rosa Angela FabioDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
University of Messina · ITChamplain College · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNon-invasive brain stimulation is an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

aimsThe 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.

methodsIn 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.

resultsResults 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. Discussion tDCS appear to be effective and to affect differently neurocognitive and neurophysiological functions when comparing short and long-term outcomes. Conclusions Anodal-tDCS is an effective way to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's both in the short and long term. It can also affect the EEG patterns, but this requires a more protracted intervention.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseTranscranial Direct Current StimulationHumansTreatment OutcomeAlzheimerEEGFronto-temporal cortexNeuromodulationtDCS

Identifiers

PMID32301028
OpenAlexW3017338992

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.