Study on TPS: Spanish researchers confirm efficacy in Alzheimer’s
“Great results in overall cognitive performance.”
Another controlled study of transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) in Alzheimer’s dementia has been completed and will be presented publicly for the first time at a professional congress in South Korea in July 2023. The new study comes from Spain and once again demonstrates the significance of TPS.
In the wake of this, several major Spanish newspapers have already reported extensively on “the groundbreaking TPS procedure” and study leader Dr. Karin Freitag of the Madrilenian Clínica DKF.
Alzheimer’s and dementia in the Iberian Peninsula: Spain ranks 4th among European countries
Spain is also affected by rising dementia rates. In the country, which lies in terms of life expectancy of women at an average age of 83.9 years and with the statistical factor 20.8 of the population suffering from dementia (per thousand inhabitants) in Europe on the 4th place, one searches intensively for solutions to prevention and therapy. With 42,339 people dying of dementia in 2020, or 12.81 percent of deaths, urgency is needed.”We must be aware that this increase in years of life has its good sides, but it also leads to degeneration and brain aging in people, which we must face and adapt to medically, Dr. Freitag commented on the current situation earlier this year in an interview with the Spanish magazine “Crónica Libre.”
Spanish study: short-term memory also benefits from transcranial pulse stimulation
The Spanish researchers led by Dr. Karin Freitag, director of Clínica DKF, selected a total of 41 subjects with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia between the ages of 66 and 91 for their study. Half of the participants were male and half were female.
The treatment protocol included initial assessments by neurologists and neuropsychologists. If mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease was diagnosed, an MRI scan was performed to rule out other pathologies. Tests performed included Mini Mental Test Evaluation (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Apathy Motivation Index Questionnaire, and other domain-specific cognitive tests.
Finally, 16 patients were treated with TPS, and 25 subjects were placed in a control group without TPS treatment. The treatment consisted of 6000 pulses/session: 800 pulses in both frontal areas, 400 pulses in each parietal area, and 600 pulses in the precuneus area before repeating the same sequence once. Short pulses of 3 microseconds, 5 Hz, and 0.2-0.3 mJ/mm2 were used. The duration of each individual TPS session was 25 minutes.
The subjects each received six sessions, which were performed over two weeks. A booster treatment was administered 10 weeks after the start of therapy. The study protocol includes evaluation with a cognitive assessment of the patient:s at three, six, and 12 months after treatment.
Improvements with TPS, Deteriorations in the Control Group
Sustained improvements in MMSE, MoCA, CDR, and CERAD scores occurred in all patients:in treated with TPS, whereas deterioration was observed in the control group.
During the follow-up, Dr. Karin Freitag and her team found that TPS not only led to a stabilization of the clinical profile of their patients, but that a stable cognitive improvement three months after treatment with TPS (p<0.05) could also be demonstrated in general. Furthermore, temporal orientation (p<0.05) also improved significantly. Of particular note is that the participants also achieved an improvement in short-term memory (p<0.05): They were told short stories, which the patients:in treated with the TPS were able to recall immediately.
Daily newspaper “La Razón” interviewed researchers about TPS and their study results
In an interview with one of Spain’s largest daily newspapers, study leader Dr. Karin Freitag and neuropsychologist and co-author Dr. Miguel Ángel Fernández talked about their findings.
The most important improvements were seen particularly in apathy, initiative, and mood.”We also saw great results in the overall cognitive performance of those affected, and particularly in cognitive functions such as attention, orientation, and immediate memory,” Miguel Ángel Fernández said in the conclusion to the study.
“Transcranial pulse stimulation works with mechanoacoustic shock waves and improves communication between neurons and the passage of molecules. It also causes the blood-brain barrier to open, optimizing the exchange of substances between the brain and the rest of the body. This increases the levels of brain growth factors and endothelial growth factor, leading to an increase in vascularization and cell proliferation. The therapy also acts on neurotransmitters and increases serotonin and dopamine levels,” explained Dr. Karin Freitag, director of Clínica DKF in Madrid, in an interview.
At the “Congress of the International Shock Wave Society” (ISMST) , which will be held in July 2023 in South Korea, Dr. Freitag and team will present their study results. The renowned physician hopes that her data will help advance the scientific recognition of this innovative neurostimulation procedure.
The poster for the study can be seen here:.
https://alzheimer-science.com/en/transcranial-pulse-stimulation-tps-studies
The interview with “La Razón” can be read here:
Further clinical studies on Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) shock wave therapy for various indications in neurology and psychiatry can be found here:
