Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41620439›Full record

Trial reportTranslational psychiatry2026

Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot trial of theta-band transcranial alternating current stimulation during cognitive training in mild Alzheimer's disease.

Qian Gong, Xuemin Fu, Daxi Feng, Shuying Rao, Benno Pütz, Bertram Müller-Myhsok, Lili Wei, Chanchan Shen, Yingchun Zhang, Luoyi Xu and 9 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Translational psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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.

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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation on cognitive function in patients with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Pooled it
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

19 authors.

Qian Gong *Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2833-8631
Xuemin Fu *Statistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
Daxi FengDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Shuying RaoAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, and Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-2348-8223
Benno PützStatistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2208-209X
Bertram Müller-MyhsokStatistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0719-101X
Lili WeiDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Chanchan ShenDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Yingchun ZhangDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Luoyi XuDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Wenjuan ChenDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Kehua YangDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Dandan ChenDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Xinghui LvDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Zhongmei YanDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Dandan LuoDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Pengfei WeiSchool of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Haiteng JiangAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, and Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. h.jiang@zju.edu.cn.
Wei ChenDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. srrcw@zju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0903-7945

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82071181National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82101581National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82371453
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cognitive deficits are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and effective treatments remain elusive. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive technique, has shown potential in improving cognitive function across various populations, but further research is needed to investigate its efficacy in AD. In a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot trial, 36 mild AD patients received active or sham theta-tACS (8 Hz, 1.6 mA, 20-min daily) during n-back task for two weeks, followed by a 10-week follow-up. Cognitive assessments and resting-state EEG were analyzed at baseline, after-treatment, and follow-up. The results showed that the active group demonstrated significant cognitive improvements after treatment (MMSE: t (15) =-3.273, p = 0.005, Cohen's d = 0.82), particularly in short-term memory (MMSE-recall: Z = -2.11, p = 0.035, r = 0.53), with maintained benefits after 10 weeks. In contrast, the sham group exhibited long-term cognitive decline (MMSE: t (4) = 3.586, p = 0.023, Cohen's d = -1.60). EEG analysis revealed reduced gamma power (t (23) = 2.689, p = 0.013, Cohen's d = 1.077) and theta connectivity in active group, particularly in the frontotemporal regions (F4/F7: t (23) = 2.467, p = 0.021, Cohen's d = 0.988; F4/T3: t (23) = 2.465, p = 0.022, Cohen's d = 0.987), which was correlated with cognitive improvements (R = -0.57, p = 0.043). In conclusion, tACS combining cognitive training may offer cognitive benefits in mild AD by modulating neural activity, though further studies are needed to clarify its mechanisms.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitive TrainingTheta RhythmTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAgedCognitionCognitive EnhancementDouble-Blind MethodElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMemory, Short-TermNeuropsychological TestsPilot ProjectsTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID41620439
PMCPMC12872614

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.