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Gamma tACS to Improve Cognitive Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment

NCT07752316 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2026-08-07

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a decline in memory and thinking that exceeds normal aging but does not substantially disrupt daily life, and it raises the risk of developing dementia. Effective treatments for its cognitive difficulties are few.

This study tests whether transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive method that delivers a weak oscillating electrical current through scalp electrodes, can improve thinking and memory in older women with MCI. The current oscillates at 80 Hz, a frequency in the gamma range, because gamma brain rhythms support memory and attention and are disrupted in MCI.

Thirty older women with MCI are randomly assigned to receive either active 80 Hz tACS or sham (placebo) stimulation. Participants and the person delivering the stimulation do not know the group assignment. Both groups complete the same cognitive tests before and after the sessions, measuring overall cognitive status, planning, visuospatial working memory, and reaction speed. The aim is to determine whether active 80 Hz tACS improves cognitive performance more than sham stimulation.

Conditions

  • Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Interventions

DEVICE

transcranial electrical stimulation

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that applies low-intensity electrical currents to the scalp to modulate brain activity. It targets specific brain regions to influence neuronal excitability, connectivity, and plasticity, offering potential therapeutic benefits for neurological and psychiatric conditions. tES is portable, cost-effective, and generally well-tolerated, with minimal side effects such as mild tingling or itching at the stimulation site.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Mohaghegh Ardabili University

    collaborator UNKNOWN

  • University Hospital, Aachen

    collaborator OTHER

  • The National Brain Mapping Laboratory (NBML)

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
60 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-03-02
Primary Completion
2025-04-01
Completion
2025-10-15

Countries

  • Iran

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07752316 on ClinicalTrials.gov