Skip to content

Hippocampal Temporal Interference Stimulation for Memory and Dual-Task Postural Control in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Effects and Underlying Mechanisms of Hippocampal-Targeted Temporal Interference Stimulation on Memory Function and Dual-Task Postural Control in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07771036
Enrollment
21
Registered
2026-08-18
Start date
2026-07-30
Completion date
2027-07-30
Last updated
2026-08-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Keywords

Mild Cognitive Impairment, Temporal Interference Stimulation, TIs

Brief summary

This trial aims to investigate whether a single session of 40 Hz hippocampal temporal interference stimulation can improve memory function and dual-task postural control among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The primary research questions to be addressed are as follows: * Can 40 Hz hippocampal temporal interference stimulation boost memory test performance in older adults with MCI? * Can 40 Hz hippocampal temporal interference stimulation improve walking and balance ability under dual-task conditions in older adults with MCI? Researchers will compare active 40 Hz hippocampal temporal interference stimulation against sham stimulation to identify whether this intervention yields positive immediate effects on memory function and dual-task postural control. Participants will be required to: * Attend three laboratory visits over approximately three weeks, and receive one session of active stimulation and one session of sham stimulation in random order, with an interval of at least seven days between the two stimulation visits; * Complete memory and motor function assessments before and after each stimulation session; * Undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans to detect changes in brain activity.

Interventions

DEVICETemporal Interference Stimulation

Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (TIS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique. In this randomized crossover trial, each participant receives two sessions in random order: one active 40 Hz TIS session targeting the left hippocampus and one sham session, with at least 7 days between sessions. Each session lasts 20 minutes. Outcome measures include memory tests, dual-task postural control assessments, and fMRI scans, conducted before and immediately after each session.

Sponsors

Shanghai University of Sport
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Aged 65 years or older; 2. Presence of subjective memory complaints; 3. Objective cognitive impairment: screened using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Bejingversion (MoCA-BJ). The MoCA-BJ total score is 30 points. For individuals with \<12 years ofeducation, 1 point is added to the raw total score (corrected total score capped at 30 points); acorrected total score \<26 points indicates risk of cognitive impairment; 4. Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0.5; 5. Does not meet diagnostic criteria for dementia: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores\>18 for illiterate individuals, 221 for those with primary school education, and \>25 for those withjunior high school education or above;6. Retains independent activities of daily living (ADL) and is capable of cooperating with allassessments and interventions.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change From Pre-intervention in Object-Scene Associative Memory Retrieval Accuracy After StimulationImmediately before and after each 20-minute stimulation session during each crossover periodRetrieval accuracy is assessed using a computerized object-scene associative memory task programmed in E-Prime 3.0. Accuracy is calculated as the number of correct match/non-match responses divided by the total number of valid retrieval trials and multiplied by 100. The reported outcome is the post-intervention value minus the pre-intervention value within each stimulation period. Higher percentages indicate better associative memory retrieval performance.
Change From Pre-intervention in Object-Scene Associative Memory Retrieval Reaction Time After StimulationImmediately before and after each 20-minute stimulation session during each crossover periodReaction time is recorded by E-Prime 3.0 during the retrieval phase of the computerized object-scene associative memory task. The measure is the mean reaction time across valid trials with correct responses. Trials with no response, reaction times shorter than 300 milliseconds, or reaction times more than 3 standard deviations above the participant-specific mean are excluded according to the prespecified data-cleaning procedure. The reported outcome is the post-intervention value minus the pre-intervention value within each stimulation period. Shorter reaction times indicate greater retrieval efficiency.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change From Pre-intervention in Left Hippocampal Task-Evoked BOLD Signal During Associative Memory RetrievalBefore and after each 20-minute stimulation session during each crossover period, with post-intervention scanning initiated immediately after stimulationTask-state functional magnetic resonance imaging is acquired while participants perform the object-scene associative memory task. The measure is the mean blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) percent signal change within a prespecified anatomically defined left hippocampal region of interest during correct associative memory retrieval relative to the task control condition. The reported outcome is the post-intervention value minus the pre-intervention value within each stimulation period. Positive values indicate increased retrieval-related activation of the left hippocampus.
Change From Pre-intervention in Dual-Task Cost of 3-Meter Timed Up and Go Completion Time After StimulationImmediately before and after each 20-minute stimulation session during each crossover periodParticipants perform the 3-meter Timed Up and Go test under single-task and dual-task conditions. During the dual-task condition, participants complete the test while continuously subtracting 3 from a randomly selected three-digit number. Total completion time is measured in seconds using the Mobility Lab wearable motion analysis system. Each condition is tested three times, and the mean completion time is used. Dual-task cost is calculated as: \[(dual-task completion time - single-task completion time) / single-task completion time\] × 100%. The reported outcome is the post-intervention value minus the pre-intervention value within each stimulation period. A higher dual-task cost indicates greater deterioration in mobility performance under cognitive load.
Change From Pre-intervention in Dual-Task Cost of 7-Meter Walking Speed After StimulationImmediately before and after each 20-minute stimulation session during each crossover periodParticipants complete the 7-meter walking test at their usual comfortable speed under single-task and dual-task conditions. During the dual-task condition, participants walk while continuously subtracting 3 from a randomly selected three-digit number. Walking speed is measured in meters per second using the Mobility Lab wearable motion analysis system. Each condition is tested three times, and the mean walking speed is used. Dual-task cost is calculated as: \[(single-task walking speed - dual-task walking speed) / single-task walking speed\] × 100%. The reported outcome is the post-intervention value minus the pre-intervention value within each stimulation period. A higher dual-task cost indicates a greater reduction in walking speed under cognitive load.
Number of Participants With Any Stimulation-Associated Adverse SymptomDuring and immediately after each 20-minute stimulation session in each crossover periodSafety is assessed using a standardized adverse-reaction questionnaire completed immediately after each stimulation session. Prespecified symptoms include tingling, itching, burning sensation, pain, skin redness, fatigue, visual sensations, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes. Each symptom is rated as none, mild, moderate, or severe, corresponding to scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Other spontaneously reported symptoms are also recorded. For each stimulation condition, a participant is counted as having an adverse symptom if at least one prespecified or spontaneously reported symptom is present with a severity score of 1 or higher during or immediately after stimulation.

Countries

China

Contacts

CONTACTJiaojiao Lü, PhD
ljj27@163.com+86 18516565889

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 19, 2026