Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40243219›Full record

Observational studyCNS neuroscience & therapeutics2025

Efficacy and Safety of Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Severe Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparative Analysis of Fornix Versus Basal Ganglia of Meynert.

Junpeng Xu, Bin Liu, Guosong Shang, Zhebin Feng, Haonan Yang, Yuhan Chen, Xinguang Yu, Zhiqi Mao

Registry-linked trialAbstract readComparative StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03115814 (Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment of Severe Alzheimer's Disease), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT03115814 unknown statusnot on this map

Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment of Severe Alzheimer's Disease: Study Protocol of a Prospective, Self-control Phase I Trial

TypeobservationalSponsorChinese PLA General HospitalRan2017 to 2019Enrolled6ConditionsAlzheimer Disease
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
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  5. Article
  6. Review
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

8 authors.

Junpeng XuMedical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0002-9958-7819
Bin LiuMedical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.
Guosong ShangMedical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.
Zhebin FengPLA 942 Hospital, Yinchuan, China.
Haonan YangMedical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.
Yuhan ChenThe First Clinical Medical College of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China.
Xinguang YuDepartment of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Zhiqi MaoDepartment of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8535-4531

Funding

STI 2030-Major Projects 2021ZD0200407
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDeep brain stimulation (DBS) is a novel therapy for severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the optimal target for DBS, particularly the fornix and the basal ganglia of Meynert (NBM).

objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of DBS for severe AD and to compare the fornix and the NBM as potential targets.

methodsWe conducted a prospective, nonrandomized clinical study involving 20 patients with severe AD (MMSE score 0 to 10, CDR level 3) from January 2015 to August 2022, comprising 12 males and eight females, with a mean age of 59.05 ± 6.45 years. All patients underwent DBS treatment, among which 14 received bilateral fornix implantation, while six received bilateral implantation in the NBM. Electrical stimulation commenced 1 month postoperatively. We assessed the patients before surgery, followed by evaluations at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months poststimulation. Primary outcome measures focused on changes in cognitive function, assessed using the MMSE, MoCA, ADAS-Cog, and CDR scales. Secondary measures encompassed quality of life, caregiver burden, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and sleep disturbances, evaluated through the BI, FAQ, FIM, ZBI, NPI, HAMA, HAMD, and PSQI scales.

resultsAll patients tolerated DBS well, with no serious adverse effects reported. Early on, DBS significantly improved cognitive function and quality of life. Long-term benefits include the improvement of neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders and the alleviation of caregiver burden. Comparison between DBS targeting the NBM and fornix revealed no significant differences in overall scale scores. However, upon deeper analysis, NBM-DBS exhibited a more pronounced improvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms, particularly in NPI scores.

conclusionDBS is a potential therapeutic approach for severe AD, capable of improving patients' cognitive function, quality of life, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Notably, NBM-DBS showed distinct advantages in ameliorating neuropsychiatric symptoms, providing valuable insights for clinically selecting the optimal DBS target.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03115814.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseBasal Nucleus of MeynertDeep Brain StimulationFornix, BrainAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesTreatment Outcomedeep brain stimulationfornixnucleus basalis of Meynertsevere Alzheimer's disease

Identifiers

PMID40243219
PMCPMC12004396

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Registered trials

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