ArticlePsychiatry investigation2025
Comparison of Frequency-Specific Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulations on Cognitive Function in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Article in Psychiatry investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Neurobiological mechanisms of 40-Hz stimulation in Alzheimer's disease: evidence, heterogeneity, and constraints.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Review
- Review
- Haemodynamic correlates of bilateral 6 Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation during working memory enhancement revealed by fNIRS.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to compare the effects of theta and gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on cognitive function and memory in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
methodsThe participants were assigned to one of three conditions: sham, theta (5 Hz), or gamma (40 Hz) tACS, targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for approximately 30 min. Cognitive tasks were conducted before and after stimulation, including the Digit Span and Trail Making Test A (TMT-A).
resultsThe results indicated significant improvements in the gamma tACS group, specifically a reduction in TMT-A errors. In contrast, no significant effects were observed in the sham or theta groups.
conclusionThese findings suggest that gamma tACS enhances working memory, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility, potentially due to its modulating neural activity within the DLPFC and restoring effective theta-gamma coupling. Conversely, theta tACS did not yield improvements, likely because of the elevated baseline theta levels and disrupted oscillatory dynamics observed in patients with MCI. This study underscores the potential of gamma tACS as a promising intervention for cognitive decline in MCI and further suggests the necessity of a comprehensive approach that considers the electrophysiological abnormalities and dynamic oscillatory patterns in MCI.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.