Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40033713›Full record

ArticlePsychological medicine2025

A retrospective analysis of ultrasound neuromodulation therapy using transcranial pulse stimulation in 58 dementia patients.

Sonja Radjenovic, Lena Bender, Martin Gaal, Daria Grigoryeva, Michael Mitterwallner, Sarah Osou, Anna Zettl, Nina Plischek, Patrick Lachmair, Katrin Herzhauser and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Transcranial Pulse Stimulation Enhances Dexterity in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial.Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Sonja RadjenovicDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-7344-6933
Lena BenderDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Martin GaalDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Daria GrigoryevaDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Michael MitterwallnerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Sarah OsouDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Anna ZettlDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Nina PlischekDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Patrick LachmairDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Katrin HerzhauserDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Eva MattDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Roland BeisteinerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNovel ultrasound neuromodulation techniques allow therapeutic brain stimulation with unmet precision and non-invasive targeting of deep brain areas. Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS), a multifrequency sonication technique, is approved for the clinical treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we present the largest real-world retrospective analysis of ultrasound neuromodulation therapy in dementia (AD, vascular, mixed) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

methodsThe consecutive sample involved 58 patients already receiving state-of-the-art treatment in an open-label, uncontrolled, retrospective study. TPS therapy typically comprises 10 sessions (range 8-12) with individualized MRI-based target areas defined according to brain pathology and individual pathophysiology. We compared the CERAD-Plus neuropsychological test battery results before and after treatment, with the CERAD Corrected Total Score ( CTS) as the primary outcome. Furthermore, we analyzed side effects reported by patients during the treatment period.

resultsCERAD Corrected Total Score (CTS) significantly improved (

conclusionsThe findings implicate TPS as a novel and safe add-on therapy for patients with dementia or MCI with the potential to further improve current state-of-the-art treatment results. Despite the individual benefits, further randomized, sham-controlled, longitudinal clinical trials are needed to differentiate the effects of verum and placebo.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitive DysfunctionDementiaTranscranial Direct Current StimulationUltrasonic TherapyAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAlzheimer’s diseasebrain stimulationdementianeuromodulationtranscranial pulse stimulationultrasound

Identifiers

PMID40033713
PMCPMC12080636

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.