Efficacy Of Non-Invasive Nesa Neuromodulation And Therapeutic Exercise On Sleep Disorders And Cognitive Function In People Diagnosed With Dementia. Randomized Multicenter Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Dementia is a progressive decline in cognitive functions due to an alteration in the pattern of neural network connections. There is an inability to create new neural connections, resulting, among others, in sleep-wake disturbances. To date, there are not many treatment options. In addition to the adverse effects of drugs, it has been shown that they do not remove the amyloid deposits that form, nor do they prevent their formation. Therefore, the need arises to look for other treatment options to improve the functioning of neural plasticity. In this study we propose to evaluate the effect of non-invasive neuromodulation with the NESA device and therapeutic exercise on sleep disorders and cognitive function in the dementia population. Materials and Methods: A randomized, multicenter clinical trial is conducted with 30 patients diagnosed with dementia from two Alzheimer associations. Participants were assigned to three treatment groups (CG: control group; EETG: experimental group of 52 sessions of therapeutic exercise; GENM: experimental group of 20 sessions of non-invasive neuromodulation with the Nesa device). Sleep and cognitive function variables were measured at 4 different times during the study using various rating scales. Results: The results obtained in the sleep quality variable reveal favorable and significant data for both experimental treatments after two months of follow-up, obtaining a higher score and effectiveness for sleep disorders with the neuromodulation treatment. Similar results were obtained with the cognitive function variable, obtaining a significantly higher score in the neuromodulation group. Conclusions: Non-invasive stimulation with the Nesa device and therapeutic exercise are two effective non-pharmacological treatments that provide benefits in sleep disturbance and cognitive functions in patients with dementia.