Evidence mapPaperPMID 41140682Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2025

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.

Edgar Vásquez-Carrasco, Pía Jamett-Oliva, Amanda Quijada, Jordan Hernandez-Martinez, Braulio Henrique Magnani Branco, Eduardo Carmine-Peña, Paulina Sepúlveda, Cristian Sandoval, Pablo Valdés-Badilla

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

9 authors.

Edgar Vásquez-CarrascoSchool of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
Pía Jamett-OlivaSchool of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
Amanda QuijadaSchool of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
Jordan Hernandez-MartinezDepartment of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile.
Braulio Henrique Magnani BrancoGraduate Program in Health Promotion, Cesumar University (UniCesumar), Maringá, Brazil.
Eduardo Carmine-PeñaCarrera de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
Paulina SepúlvedaDepartamento de Ciencias Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
Cristian SandovalEscuela de Tecnología Médica, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Osorno, Chile.
Pablo Valdés-BadillaDepartment of Physical Activity Sciences, Faculty of Education Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a potential adjunct to cognitive training for enhancing cognitive performance in older peoples with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combined NIBS and cognitive training on cognitive function in this population. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, EBSCOhost, CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science up to May 2025. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and methodological quality was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels, the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (RoB 2) tool for risk of bias, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach for the certainty of evidence. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024563219). Studies were included if they assessed the effects of NIBS in combination with cognitive training on cognitive outcomes in older peoples with MCI. Results: A total of 1,689 records were screened, and 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated a moderate positive effect of the combined intervention on attention and processing speed as measured by the Trail-Making Test Part A (TMT-A; effect size = 0.54). Improvements were also observed in global cognition as assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), though the results were not statistically significant ( Conclusion: The combination of NIBS and cognitive training appears to yield beneficial effects on specific cognitive domains, particularly attention and processing speed, in older people with MCI. These findings support the potential role of NIBS as an adjunctive intervention to cognitive training for enhancing cognitive function in this population. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these effects. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024563219, identifier (CRD42024563219).

Indexed as

agedcognitionolder peoplerehabilitationtechnology

Identifiers

PMID41140682
PMCPMC12546134

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.