1.6. Past Research on TPS
CERAD, AD, oropharyngeal motor function, Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s Disease
DISEASE, SYNDROME, CORTEX, UNRESPONSIVE WAKEFULNESS
In the last decade, there were two studies that utilized TPS in order to treat the disease population. In 2014, five patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome received a 4-week TPS treatment (three times per week), 4000 pulses each, every 6 months for an average of 2 to 4 years. Patients showed significant improvement in vigilance, and three patients’ percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube could be removed due to their improved oropharyngeal motor function [In another recent study, 35 older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were treated in three TPS sessions (6000 pulses each) per week for 2–4 weeks, either over classical AD-affected sites (such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, areas of the memory, and language network) or over all accessible brain areas (i.e., global brain stimulation). Results showed significant improvement in the CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease) score, immediately after intervention and at 1 month and 3 months after intervention. The results from fMRI also showed significantly increased connectivity within the memory network [In regard to the GDS, the effect of TIME was significant (