Cogniguard's Vguard Stimulates the Vagus Nerve During Sleep for Alzheimer's

The concept follows preclinical research carried out with the University of Łódź. The team reports it identified stimulation parameters that induce theta activity in the hippocampus. The method was then assessed in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in Alzheimer's patients, using the ADAS-Cog and MMSE scales, the CTT test and a verbal memory test. Broncel stresses that the theta rhythm is described as part of the studied mechanism, while clinical results should be read separately and only within the limits of the trial data.

Early diagnosis and cost

Broncel notes that biological changes in Alzheimer's can begin many years before diagnosis. Some biomarkers can be detected more than 10 years before the first symptoms, and hippocampal changes about eight years earlier. Forgetfulness alone does not mean Alzheimer's, he says, and any therapy depends on proper diagnosis, risk factors, comorbidities and disease stage.

A year of therapy currently costs about PLN 22,000, which the company acknowledges is a significant burden for some families. Cogniguard wants the solution to reach as many eligible patients as possible and calls public funding an important direction, but it gives no timeline. For now it plans to keep collecting clinical data, refine the technology and talk with healthcare institutions. Qualification for the device requires individual medical assessment.