Cognito Therapeutics today announced the presentation of new findings from a study of its non-invasive Spectris neuromodulation system.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts–based company announced five new poster presentations at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2025 supporting the clinical efficacy and neuroprotective mechanism of Spectris in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Spectris delivers proprietary gamma frequency light and sound stimulation. This evokes EEG-confirmed gamma frequency brain oscillations to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases. It restores brain electrical activity disrupted in Alzheimer’s.
Data from the OVERTURE feasibility trial and OVERTURE open-label extension study demonstrated that Spectris resulted in significant “time saved” in functional and structural decline over six months. it also led to significant time saved in cognitive, functional and structural decline over 18 months.
“The new findings presented at AAIC reinforce the potential of Spectris to not only slow cognitive and functional decline, but to provide meaningful structural preservation that could shift the treatment paradigm in Alzheimer’s,” said Christian Howell, CEO, Cognito Therapeutics. “We believe the future of Alzheimer’s care lies in safe, effective neuromodulation that is grounded in both biology and real-world usability.”
More from the Cognito Therapeutics studies
In the OVERTURE open-label extension (OLE), participants treated with Spectris experienced up to 9.9 months of time saved across clinical and imaging endpoints. Spectris resulted in time savings of 8.66 months in activities of daily living, 9.93 months in cognitive function, and 7.48 months in whole-brain volume.
MRI-based analyses further revealed that Spectris preserved white matter and myelin integrity across multiple brain regions. Cognito says this suggests a broad structural neuroprotective effect linked to its gamma-frequency (40 Hz) stimulation mechanism.
Investigators also evaluated the “What Matters most” (WMM) framework of patient-centered outcomes. Spectris demonstrated significantly less decline in 12 of 41 WMM items, including independence and daily activities, communication, thought processing, emotional stability and engaging in social activities.
Data shared at AAIC also showed that combining light and sound stimulation generates stronger gamma oscillations across more brain regions than either light or sound alone and that Spectris had more than 85% of participants adhering to the daily sessions.
“We’re now seeing consistent outcomes with Spectris across clinical, imaging, and patient-centered domains,” said Dr. Ralph Kern, chief medical officer, Cognito Therapeutics. “These findings deepen our understanding of Spectris’ neuroprotective mechanisms and further support our path toward regulatory engagement.”
