IEEE EMBS Winnipeg Chapter Research Seminar
Neurophysiological Monitoring of the efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation as a treatment for Alzheimer’s
Abstract
Neurophysiological changes due to either real or sham transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) when paired with cognitive exercises were assessed in 35 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or AD mixed with cerebrovascular disease utilizing Electrovestibulography (EVestG) in comparison with ADAS-Cog, as the primary outcome measure of cognitive function. Both measures were made at baseline (Week 0, W0), post (W5) and follow-up (W12). For EVestG a comparative analysis of the interval histogram (IH33) of the neuronal firing pattern was made. The results were further analysed based on the patients’ modified Hachinski Ischaemic Score (HIS) to determine the impact of cerebrovascular disease (cvd) on these responses. Important findings include: 1) For real tACS stimulation the differences observed between right and left side responses were primarily a consequence of the tACS electrodes’ positioning. 2) Using ADAS-Cog, those with HIS>2 benefit more than those with HIS<2 from tACS stimulation at W5. 3) The EVestG-detected frequency shifts in neural activity show significant differences in subgroups HIS<2 and HIS>2, supporting a different time course and possible mechanisms. 4) For the real tACS stimulation an improved cognitive score generally manifested at W12 as an increase in firing rate. 5) Cognitive exercises alone (with sham tACS) can produce an improved cognition regardless of HIS grouping.
We conclude both groups of cognitive exercises and real/sham tACS appear to be effective but have different time constants and perhaps different overall modes of action. Further, the IH33 measure is shown to be effective in detecting the effect of cognitive exercises alone (sham tACS) or with real tACS.
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- 75 Chancellors Cir
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Canada
- Building: Engineering & Information Technology Complex
- Room Number: EITC E2-304
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- Co-sponsored by Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Manitoba
- Starts 24 March 2026 05:00 AM UTC
- Ends 26 March 2026 05:00 PM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Dr. Brian Lithgow
Neurophysiological Monitoring of the efficacy of tACS as a treatment for Alzheimer's
Biography:
Dr. Brain Lithgow is a research scientist at the Riverview Health Center and an adjunct professor at the Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Manitoba. He has authored more than 200 publications, including 5 patents, 2 book chapters, and 6 books. He is the inventor of EVestG recording and is widely recognized for his contributions to vestibular, respiratory, and acoustic signal processing, as well as their applications in cochlear implants and disease detection.
His research has had significant impact across multiple clinical domains, including depression (with a focus on distinguishing bipolar and major depressive disorders during the depressive phase), Parkinson’s disease (e.g., L-Dopa monitoring), dementia (including subtype detection, prediction of rTMS treatment efficacy, and identification of physiological comorbidities using transcranial brain stimulation), and anxiety as a comorbidity. He has also contributed to auditory and vestibular system modeling, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of post-concussion syndrome.
Dr. Lithgow has delivered numerous invited talks at national and international conferences. More recently, his research has focused on detecting and quantifying anxiety as a comorbidity in depression, with emerging work examining spatial brain changes in adolescent schizophrenia.