Accelerating Cognitive Gains from Digital Meditation with Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: A Pilot Study in MCI

摘要 该项目的总体目标是收集显示改进的试验可行性和早期效果数据。 轻度认知障碍(MCI)成人患者的认知和幸福感 无创脑刺激(经颅交流电刺激)治疗 新形式的闭合数字冥想(冥想)。MCI是一个过渡阶段 衰老和痴呆症，MCI患者进展为阿尔茨海默病的风险很高 以及其他痴呆症患者。非侵入性脑刺激和集中注意力冥想是两种 在增强认知能力和增强OA幸福感方面大有希望的方法，请访问 患阿尔茨海默氏症的风险。虽然有几项研究将神经刺激与冥想结合起来 在健康的年轻人中，没有人使用数字闭环式冥想，也没有人检查过这个问题 在一个阿尔茨海默病高危人群中。因此，这项拟议研究的目标是收集 测试MediTrain与特定频率(即，theta)TAC耦合的假设的试点数据 瞄准正面注意网络将导致认知方面更快和/或更大幅度的增长 能力，真实世界的压力和睡眠指数，以及反映aMCI患者衰老的关键血液生物标记物。至 为了实现这些目标，我们将与aMCI进行一次关于90个OA的RCT，他将被分配到以下之一 三个干预组：MediTrain+6 HzTacs(n=30)、MediTrain+Sham Tacs(n=30)或 安慰剂(Worder APP+Sham Tacs)干预(n=30)。Theta(6赫兹)或假刺激(即无刺激) 将在参与者家中进行30分钟的训练时，使用Humm贴片贴在额头上，4 每周几天，持续4周。结果测量将包括认知/注意任务、生理任务 睡眠和压力指数(在实验室和家里通过可穿戴传感器)，以及血液生物标记物 衰老(端粒长度)。这项研究将为理解 Tacs和冥想相结合作为一种增强认知储备和增加 MCI患者的总体幸福感。

Abstract The overall goal of this project is to collect pilot feasibility and early efficacy data showing improvements in cognition and wellbeing in adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through a combination treatment of non-invasive brain stimulation (transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)) and a novel form of closed-loop digital meditation (Meditrain). MCI is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia, and patients with MCI are at high risk of progressing onto Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Non-invasive brain stimulation and focused-attention meditation are two approaches that hold great promise for boosting cognitive abilities and enhancing wellbeing in OA at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. While a handful of studies have combined neural stimulation with meditation in healthy young adults, none have employed digital closed loop meditation nor examined this question in a population at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, the goal of this proposed research is to collect pilot data to test the hypothesis that coupling MediTrain with frequency-specific (i.e., theta) tACS targeting frontal attention networks will lead to faster and/or greater magnitude of gains in cognitive abilities, real-world indices of stress and sleep, and key blood biomarkers of aging in aMCI patients. To accomplish these aims, we will conduction an RCT on 90 OA with aMCI who will be assigned to one of three intervention groups: MediTrain + 6Hz tACS (n = 30), MediTrain + sham tACS (n = 30), or a placebo (Worder app + sham tACS) intervention (n = 30). Theta (6Hz) or sham (i.e., none) stimulation will be applied to the forehead using Humm patches during 30min of training in participants’ homes, 4 days per week, for 4 weeks. Outcome measures will consist of cognitive/attention tasks, physiological indices of sleep and stress (both in lab and at home via wearable sensors), and blood biomarkers of aging (telomere length). This research will provide an important contribution toward understanding the combination of tACS and meditation as a therapeutic tool for bolstering cognitive reserve and increasing overall wellbeing in patients with MCI.