Transcranial direct current stimulation and neuronal functional connectivity in MCI: role of individual factors associated to AD

作者：Dong Woo Kang, Sheng‐Min Wang, Yoo Hyun Um, Sunghwan Kim, TaeYeong Kim, Donghyeon Kim, Chang Uk Lee, Hyun Kook Lim · 发表于：Frontiers in Psychiatry · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1428535 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies、Nerve injury and regeneration、Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) encompasses a spectrum that may progress from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to full dementia, characterized by amyloid-beta and tau accumulation. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is being investigated as a therapeutic option, but its efficacy in relation to individual genetic and biological risk factors remains underexplored. Objective To evaluate the effects of a two-week anodal tDCS regimen on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, focusing on functional connectivity changes in neural networks in MCI patients resulting from various possible underlying disorders, considering individual factors associated to AD such as amyloid-beta deposition, APOE ϵ4 allele, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, and sex. Methods In a single-arm prospective study, 63 patients with MCI, including both amyloid-PET positive and negative cases, received 10 sessions of tDCS. We assessed intra- and inter-network functional connectivity (FC) using fMRI and analyzed interactions between tDCS effects and individual factors associated to AD. Results tDCS significantly enhanced intra-network FC within the Salience Network (SN) and inter-network FC between the Central Executive Network and SN, predominantly in APOE ϵ4 carriers. We also observed significant sex*tDCS interactions that benefited inter-network FC among females. Furthermore, the effects of multiple modifiers, particularly the interaction of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and sex, were evident, as de...