Effects of Auditory Brain Stimulation by "Pink Noise" on Memory Capacities in Alzheimer's Disease: Proof of Concept Study (PINK-AD)

  • STATUS
    Recruiting
  • participants needed
    30
  • sponsor
    University Hospital, Tours
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Updated on 15 October 2025
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Accepts healthy volunteers

Summary

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting almost 6% of the world's population over the age of 65. This disease, in its most typical sporadic form, is characterized by an episodic memory impairment linked to a deficit in consolidation. Many studies indicate that sleep promotes this consolidation stage during the deep slow sleep stage by facilitating the transfer of information between the hippocampus and the neocortex.

A method of acoustic brain stimulation at night by pink noises has been recently developed and has shown its effectiveness in strengthening memory consolidation in healthy volunteers. Actually, there is no study observing the effect of this new stimulation method on populations with neurodegenerative pathologies, in particular in AD for which this technique could potentially become a therapeutic option.

The hypothesis is that of a strengthening of the memory consolidation capacities in subjects with AD as has been shown in healthy subjects.

Description

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting almost 6% of the world's population over the age of 65. This disease, in its most typical sporadic form, is characterized by an episodic memory impairment linked to a deficit in consolidation. Many studies indicate that sleep promotes this consolidation stage during the deep slow sleep stage by facilitating the transfer of information between the hippocampus and the neocortex.

A method of acoustic brain stimulation at night by pink noises has been recently developed and has shown its effectiveness in strengthening memory consolidation in healthy volunteers. Actually, there is no study observing the effect of this new stimulation method on populations with neurodegenerative pathologies, in particular in AD for which this technique could potentially become a therapeutic option.

The hypothesis is that of a strengthening of the memory consolidation capacities in subjects with AD as has been shown in healthy subjects.

Details
Condition Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
Age 50years or above
Clinical Study IdentifierNCT04570761
SponsorUniversity Hospital, Tours
Last Modified on15 October 2025

Eligibility

 Yes No Not Sure

Inclusion Criteria

Age> 50 years at the inclusion
Patient with regular sleep patterns
Patient having given written consent
Patient affiliated to a social security regimen
Inclusion criteria for subjects with Alzheimer's disease
Patient with a beginning Alzheimer's disease defined according to the criteria of the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association or carriers of a prodromal Alzheimer's disease defined according to the criteria of the International Working Group IWG-2; the diagnosis must be supported by brain imaging and a blood test carried out in routine care
MMSE score ≥ 24
Inclusion criteria for healthy volunteers
Absence of neurodegenerative pathologies
Matched in age (+/- 5 years) and in sex with a patient
Non-inclusion criteria common to all participants
Psychiatric pathologies (except depression or anxiety disorders stabilized for more than 3 months)
History of pathology which may have consequences on cognitive functioning and / or sleep: brain tumor, constituted stroke, epilepsy, head trauma (with clinical or parenchymal sequelae objectified on brain imagery), brain surgery
Any significant comorbidity likely to constitute a confounding factor according to the clinician
Psychotropic treatments introduced or modified <3 months before inclusion
Hypnotic and / or sedative treatments
Chronic consumption of alcohol or drugs
Legal incapacity and / or other circumstance rendering the patient unable to understand the nature, objective or consequences of the study
Major under guardianship or curatorship
Patient not French-speaking by birth or illiterate

Exclusion Criteria

Sleep disorders defined by a score> 5 on the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI)
A score> 10 on the Epworth sleepiness index
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