{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T04:36:41Z","timestamp":1777351001891,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,17]],"date-time":"2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750118400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["NeuroSci"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation method that uses, high-intensity acoustic shockwaves to deliver focused mechanical stimulation to neural tissue with minimal thermal effects. The mechanism of action includes but is not limited to promotion of blood flow and angiogenesis through mechanotransduction. Clinical data to date are limited and preliminary. In Alzheimer\u2019s disease (AD), TPS has demonstrated cognitive and mood improvements in pilot studies and secondary endpoint analysis in first randomized trials. The enhancement of gamma-band oscillations and network connectivity has been reported. Clinical observations in Parkinson\u2019s disease (PD) suggest TPS as a hypothesis-generating approach to address non-motor symptoms\u2014such as depression, cognitive decline, and the freezing of gait\u2014through theoretical modulation of basal ganglia\u2013cortical circuits. TPS is CE-marked in Europe for AD and shows a favorable safety profile; however, ethical considerations arise from the limited evidence base, potential impairment of patient autonomy and judgment in dementia, and the risk of withholding established treatments. TPS should only be offered under structured scientific protocols or within patient registries to ensure rigorous oversight. Ensuring that consent processes account for cognitive capacity, and that TPS is applied as adjunct rather than replacement therapy, is paramount. Future research must include large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs), standardize stimulation protocols, deepen mechanistic insight, and embed robust ethical frameworks.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/neurosci6020056","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,17]],"date-time":"2025-06-17T03:37:07Z","timestamp":1750131427000},"page":"56","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Commentary: Treating Diseases from Alzheimer\u2019s to Parkinson\u2019s Using Transcranial Pulse Stimulation: Mechanistic Insights, Recent Evidence, and Ethical Considerations"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6205-4405","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lars","family":"Wojtecki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 D\u00fcsseldorf, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Hospital Zum Heiligen Geist, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine-University D\u00fcsseldorf, 47906 Kempen, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4003","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/awae292","article-title":"The emerging field of non-invasive brain stimulation in Alzheimer\u2019s disease","volume":"147","author":"Koch","year":"2024","journal-title":"Brain"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101555","DOI":"10.1016\/j.arr.2021.101555","article-title":"Toward noninvasive brain stimulation 2.0 in Alzheimer\u2019s disease","volume":"75","author":"Menardi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ageing Res. 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