ID: 201040 A Long-Term At-Home tDCS Protocol With Enhanced Remote Monitoring for Cognitive Enhancement in Alzheimer's Disease

The prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is increasing as is the tremendous patient and caregiver burden. Existing medications provide only partial symptomatic benefits and non-pharmacological treatment approaches are needed. Non-invasive neuromodulation method, transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), applied in studies involving brief treatment protocols have shown promising potential for AD. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the long-term benefits. To address these gaps, we are conducting a large (N=100) randomized clinical trial of 6 months of at-home tDCS to determine effects on cognitive performance, mood, quality of life, and changes in functional and structural brain connectivity/network, and to explore durability of the effects in a 9-month period. Here, we report on the development, implementation, and day-to-day logistics of the at-home tDCS protocol, including an enhanced remote monitoring procedure (ERMP) that we have developed to ascertain comprehensive remote monitoring for safety and protocol adherence.