# Commentary: Treating Diseases from Alzheimer’s to Parkinson’s Using Transcranial Pulse Stimulation: Mechanistic Insights, Recent Evidence, and Ethical Considerations

## TL;DR

Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) shows early promise for treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by improving cognition and non-motor symptoms, but more research and ethical oversight are needed.

## Contribution

This commentary provides mechanistic insights, recent clinical evidence, and ethical considerations for using TPS in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

## Key findings

- TPS improves cognitive and mood outcomes in Alzheimer’s disease according to pilot studies and early trials.
- TPS may address non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease by modulating brain circuits.
- Ethical concerns include limited evidence, patient autonomy, and the need for rigorous oversight in clinical use.

## Abstract

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’s 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’s disease (PD) suggest TPS as a hypothesis-generating approach to address non-motor symptoms—such as depression, cognitive decline, and the freezing of gait—through theoretical modulation of basal ganglia–cortical 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.