Brain stimulation and cognitive training showed mixed results
A review in older adults with mild cognitive impairment found a favorable result on one cognitive test, with uncertainty on others.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Combining non-invasive brain stimulation with cognitive training showed a favorable result on a test of attention and processing speed. The review did not find statistically significant results for global cognition or another trail-making test. This pattern leaves uncertainty about how widely any benefit extends across different aspects of cognitive performance.
The abstract does not identify the comparison conditions, follow-up periods, or certainty ratings. It also gives no confidence interval or clearly named statistical scale for the favorable effect estimate.
What was studied
This abstract-based review examined studies pairing brain stimulation with cognitive training in older people already experiencing mild cognitive impairment. Its question was whether the combination affected measured cognition in this clinical group.
Results depended on the test
The favorable result concerned Trail-Making Test Part A. Results for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Trail-Making Test Part B were not statistically significant; those uncertain results do not rule out an effect.
The original publication
Effects of non-invasive brain stimulation combined with cognitive training on cognitive functions in older people with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Vásquez-Carrasco E, Jamett-Oliva P, Quijada A et al.
Front Med (Lausanne) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41140682
- Record checked
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