AUTHOR=Agger Mikkel Pejstrup , Horning Maibritt , Carstensen Marcus Schultz , Danielsen Else Rubæk , Baandrup Anders Olhues , Nguyen Mai , Høgh Peter , Miskowiak Kamilla , Petersen Paul Michael , Madsen Kristoffer Hougaard , Kjær Troels Wesenberg TITLE=Study on the effect of 40 Hz non-invasive light therapy system. A protocol for a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience VOLUME=15 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1250626 DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2023.1250626 ISSN=1663-4365 ABSTRACT=Introduction

With no cure or effective treatment, the prevalence of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is expected to intensify, thereby increasing the social and financial burden on society. Light-based 40 Hz brain stimulation is considered a novel treatment strategy for patients with AD that may alleviate some of this burden. The clinical trial ALZLIGHT will utilize a novel Light Therapy System (LTS). The LTS uses Invisible Spectral Flicker for non-invasive induction of 40 Hz neural activity. This protocol describes a trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of a light-based 40 Hz brain stimulation in patients with mild-to-moderate AD.

Methods

62 patients with mild-to-moderate AD will participate in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, and single-center trial. The participants will partake in an enrollment period of 1 month, an intervention period of 6 months, and a 1.5-month post-interventional follow-up period. Prior to the baseline measurement (week 0), the patients will be randomized to either active or placebo intervention from baseline (week 0) to post-intervention follow-up (week 26).

Discussion

This protocol describes a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial that may increase the understanding of the effect of gamma oscillations in the human brain and how it could be utilized as a novel and important tool for the treatment of AD. The effect is measured through a large, multidisciplinary assessment battery.

Clinical trial registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, (NCT05260177). Registered on March 2, 2022.