ArticleJournal of Alzheimer's disease reports2024
Deep brain stimulation versus nonsurgical treatment for severe Alzheimer's disease: A long-term retrospective cohort study.
Article in Journal of Alzheimer's disease reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Deep brain stimulation of the fornix for Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive outcomes.Neurosurgical review · 2026Pooled it
- Mechanism and progress of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.MedScience · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Background: Severe Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by significant neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders, with limited effectiveness of conservative drug treatments. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) offers a potential alternative. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term outcomes of DBS versus conservative treatment in patients with severe AD. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 40 patients with severe AD diagnosed at the People's Liberation Army General Hospital from 2015 to 2022. Twenty patients received DBS, and twenty received conservative treatment. Treatment effects were assessed using standardized scales at three- and twelve-months post-treatment. Primary outcomes included changes in cognitive function [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale-Cognitive subscale, Clinical Dementia Rating). Secondary outcomes included quality of life, sleep quality, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and caregiver burden (Barthel Index, Functional Activity Questionnaire, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PDQI), Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI)]. Results: DBS patients showed significantly greater improvements in MMSE, MoCA, FIM, and ZBI scores than controls, suggesting improved cognitive function and quality of life, and reduced caregiver burden (p < 0.05). Notably, DBS significantly reduced HAM-A, HAM-D, and PSQI scores, and improved NPI scores more than controls, indicating significant amelioration of neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders (p < 0.05). Conclusions: DBS is a safe and reversible treatment that potentially enhances cognitive function and quality of life in severe AD patients and alleviates caregiver burden. For the first time, we report that DBS also improves neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders, highlighting its clinical potential in AD.
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