About this Research Topic
Alzheimer`s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that culminates in a insidious decline in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, visual-spatial abilities, language and cognitive functions. The best pathological cognitive-decline correlate is synaptic loss with increasing evidence that AD is a disease of synaptic dysfunction. The pharmacological treatment for Alzheimer´s disease is limited. Alternative therapeutic approaches are essential. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have been reported to improve cognitive functions by inducing persistent changes in general and focal neuroplasticity.
Several different direct and indirect brain stimulation techniques have been demonstrated to be efficient in treating cognition-related symptoms in AD patients, such as (i) deep brain stimulation (DBS), (ii) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), (iii) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), (iv) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), (v) vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).
In this edition our aim is to delineate the perspectives and mechanisms of neurostimulation in AD by bridging the gap between basic and clinical research. Advancing basic and experimental stimulation techniques and optimizing stimulation parameters are the frontiers of neurostimulation in AD. Articles with the following topics are preferable, but not limited to these:
a) clinical trials or case series using different stimulation techniques (DBS, tDCS, TENS, TMS, VNS) as treatment for AD
b) original animal and human studies investigating optimal stimulation parameters
c) translational research, different stimulation techniques and protocols in AD animal models
d) developmental studies of new stimulation techniques, devices and montages
e) comprehensive reviews of putative mechanisms of action of different stimulation techniques in AD
f) safety and tolerability of different stimulation techniques in AD
g) neuroimaging studies to localize effects of brain stimulation in AD
h) animal studies proving AD as a disorder of synaptic dysfunction
The types of manuscript desired are original research, methodology, hypothesis and theory, mini-review or reviews, clinical trials, perspective and technology report articles.
Several different direct and indirect brain stimulation techniques have been demonstrated to be efficient in treating cognition-related symptoms in AD patients, such as (i) deep brain stimulation (DBS), (ii) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), (iii) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), (iv) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), (v) vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).
In this edition our aim is to delineate the perspectives and mechanisms of neurostimulation in AD by bridging the gap between basic and clinical research. Advancing basic and experimental stimulation techniques and optimizing stimulation parameters are the frontiers of neurostimulation in AD. Articles with the following topics are preferable, but not limited to these:
a) clinical trials or case series using different stimulation techniques (DBS, tDCS, TENS, TMS, VNS) as treatment for AD
b) original animal and human studies investigating optimal stimulation parameters
c) translational research, different stimulation techniques and protocols in AD animal models
d) developmental studies of new stimulation techniques, devices and montages
e) comprehensive reviews of putative mechanisms of action of different stimulation techniques in AD
f) safety and tolerability of different stimulation techniques in AD
g) neuroimaging studies to localize effects of brain stimulation in AD
h) animal studies proving AD as a disorder of synaptic dysfunction
The types of manuscript desired are original research, methodology, hypothesis and theory, mini-review or reviews, clinical trials, perspective and technology report articles.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
