SynchronyGamma: A Music-Based Intervention for Alzheimer's and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Project Summary/Abstract In this proposal, Oscilloscape, LLC seeks NIH-SBIR funding to conduct usability and feasibility studies on an innovative music-based digital health device that delivers non-invasive music and Gamma (30-80 Hz) brain stimulation to help aging adults with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The digital health device, herein referred to as “SynchronyGamma,” is based on patented neural network technology that models the dynamics of rhythmic brain activity. We previously used this neural network technology to develop a scalable, low-cost LED-light controller, called Synchrony™, that creates colorful lighting effects that synchronize to the beat of music. Synchrony™ is currently marketed for music lighting, but its core algorithm has clinical potential, because it aims to stimulate healthy brain rhythms via the process of neural entrainment. In clinical populations who have disruptions in brain rhythms, e.g., patients with AD and MCI, we hypothesize that this technology can effectively restore normal brain activity important for learning, memory, and cognition. Key outcomes of this project are IRB-approved studies that 1) assess the usability of SynchronyGamma in independent living facilities, and 2) assess the feasibility of SynchronyGamma as a brain stimulation tool by studying the effects of SynchronyGamma on brain activity and cognitive abilities in a longitudinal intervention in older adults with MCI or AD. SynchronyGamma has potential to help age-related cognitive impairments by creating a music-based, digital health device that delivers Gamma stimulation via music and lights. Neurodegenerative disorders are a rapidly growing public-health concern, with AD alone projected to affect 13.8 million Americans in 2050. AD patients undergo gradual cognitive decline, with MCI being an early stage of the disorder. During this progression, patients experience multiple pain-points, including memory loss, executive function deficits, and depression. Early intervention in the MCI stage may reduce or even reverse cognitive decline. While pharmacological interventions for AD have primarily targeted biomarkers such as beta- amyloid (Aβ) plaques, these strategies have shown limited success in improving clinical outcomes. Thus, there is an urgent clinical need to develop novel therapies for AD and MCI. Recent findings that relate Gamma neural entrainment to Aβ offer an exciting avenue towards non-invasive sensory interventions. Our objective is to validate SynchronyGamma as an effective music-based therapy for restoring depleted brain activity, thus preserving and improving memory and cognition in patients with AD and MCI.