Peripheral Electrical Stimulation in Alzheimer’s Disease

Vol. 19, No. 5-6, 2005

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Original Research Article

Peripheral Electrical Stimulation in Alzheimer's Disease
Koene R.A. van Dijk^a, Philip Scheltens^b, Marijn W. Luijpen^a, Joseph A. Sergeant^a, Erik J.A. Scherder^a

^aDepartment of Clinical Neuropsychology, Vrije Universiteit, and
^bDepartment of Neurology,

Address of Corresponding Author

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2005;19:361-368 (DOI: 10.1159/000084706)

Key Words

Alzheimer's disease
Dementia
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

Abstract

In a number of studies, peripheral electrical nerve stimulation has been applied to Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients who lived in a nursing home. Improvements were observed in memory, verbal fluency, affective behavior, activities of daily living and on the rest-activity rhythm and pupillary light reflex. The aim of the present, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial was to examine the effects of electrical stimulation on cognition and behavior in AD patients who still live at home. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed no effects of the intervention in the verum group (n = 32) compared with the placebo group (n = 30) on any of the cognitive and behavioral outcome measures. However, the majority of the patients and the caregivers evaluated the treatment procedure positively, and applying the daily treatment at home caused minimal burden. The lack of treatment effects calls for reconsideration of electrical stimulation as a symptomatic treatment in AD.

Author Contacts

K.R.A. van Dijk
Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Van der Boechorststraat 1
NL-1081 BT Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Tel. +31 20 5988756, Fax +31 20 5988971, E-Mail kra.van.dijk@psy.vu.nl

Article Information

Accepted: September 19, 2004
Published online: March 30, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 51

Medline Abstract (ID 15802911)

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