Music-Synchronized Gamma Light Stimulation Strengthens Theta-Gamma Coupling in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment: Results from a Randomized Feasibility Trial

In a randomized feasibility trial in 38 older adults with cognitive impairment, music-paired 39-Hz gamma light increased theta–gamma phase-amplitude coupling more than delta-only synchronized lights.

• Why it matters: Restoring gamma activity with noninvasive sound-and-light approaches could support memory-related neural dynamics in Alzheimer’s disease, but the linked brain mechanisms and cognition tracking remain unclear.
• What they did: Over 8 weeks, 19 participants listened to self-selected music with 39-Hz gamma-band light modulated by delta/theta rhythms, while 19 controls used podcasts with delta-band synchronized lights; pre/post face-name association and ADAS-Cog were tested.
• The result: The treatment group showed significant gains on face-name association and ADAS-Cog, and cluster-based permutation testing found a larger coupling increase; across participants, stronger theta-to-gamma phase-amplitude coupling was associated with memory improvements.

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