Acoustic Stimulation During Sleep: Effects on Memory and p-tau217 in MCI

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether acoustic stimulation during sleep can enhance slow-wave sleep (SWS), improve cognitive function, and reduce AD-related pathology in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), compared with cognitively healthy participants. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does acoustic stimulation increase SWS (e.g., slow oscillation and sleep spindle activity) in individuals with MCI? 2. Does enhancing SWS lead to improvements in memory and cognitive performance? 3. Does acoustic stimulation influence plasma p-tau217 levels as a marker of underlying Alzheimer's disease pathology? Researchers will compare participants receiving acoustic stimulation during sleep with those not receiving stimulation to evaluate its effects on sleep architecture, cognition, and plasma biomarkers. Participants will: * Undergo sleep recordings to assess sleep architecture, including SWS, slow oscillations, and sleep spindles * Receive acoustic stimulation during sleep across multiple nights * Complete cognitive assessments, particularly memory-related tasks * Provide blood samples to measure plasma p-tau217 levels * Provide clinical and demographic information for analysis

Interventions

• Plase-Locked Acoustic Stimulation during slow-wave sleep · DEVICE

  Participants will wear a mobile, wearable EEG device during sleep. Sleep will be recorded using EEG, and an algorithm will detect slow oscillations (SOs; \>1 Hz). In the real-PLAS arm, acoustic stimulation will be applied in phase with the up-state of these slow oscillations. Specifically, the algorithm will detect each SO and trigger brief pink-noise bursts synchronized with the up-state phase, ensuring phase-locked acoustic stimulation (PLAS) is delivered precisely to enhance slow-wave activity.

• Phase-locked acoustic stimulation-Sham condition · DEVICE

  Participants will have the same setup as in the real-PLAS arm, wearing a mobile, wearable EEG device during sleep. Sleep will be recorded using EEG, and an algorithm will detect slow oscillations (SOs; \>1 Hz). No acoustic stimulation will be applied in the sham-PLAS arm.

Published eligibility criteria

Verbatim from the registry. Only the site can decide how these apply to a specific patient.

Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of aMCI according to the NIA-AA criteria (Albert et al., 2011) and positive state of plasma p-tau217.
* Diagnosis of aMCI according to the NIA-AA criteria (Albert et al., 2011) and negative state of plasma p-tau217 for aMCI negative group.
* Cognitively unimpaired older subjects aged ≥ 65 years, Mini-mental state examination ≥28, and negative for plasma p-tau217.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of dementia due to AD or any other type of dementia.
* Presence of any diagnosed sleep disorder such as narcolepsy, severe insomnia, severe obstructive sleep apnea, or severe chronic lack of sleep.
* Hearing problems.
* Analphabet individuals.
* Comorbidities such as cancer, severe depression, severe renal or hepatic insufficiency, history of seizures, and severe cardiac or respiratory failure.
* Alcohol and substance abuse.
* Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of stroke, hydrocephalus, a space-occupying lesion, or any clinically relevant central nervous system disease.
* Existence of untreated (or treated for less than 3 months prior to the screening visit) vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.
* Presence of untreated thyroid disease.
* Use of betablockers, antidepressants, neuroleptics, and hypnotics, within 15 days before conducting polysomnography.

Sites (1)

• Hospital Universitari Santa Maria de Lleida, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain