The company published MRI imaging data from the Phase 2 OVERTURE study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Cognito evaluated patients with mild-moderate Alzheimer’s disease receiving one-hour daily treatment.
Patients underwent treatment with the Cognito gamma sensory device for more than six months. They demonstrated reduced white matter atrophy and preserved brain myelin content compared to sham treatment.
MRI treatment effects proved strongest in the entorhinal region, where white matter connections to the hippocampus are known to be involved in learning and memory and are affected in Alzheimer’s. Cognito said these findings fall in line with preclinical data.
“The study results suggest that combined visual and auditory gamma-sensory stimulation may modulate neuronal network function in AD in part by reducing white matter atrophy and myelin content loss,” said Dr. Ralph Kern, chief medical officer, Cognito Therapeutics. “The entorhinal region MRI outcomes may have significant implications for early AD intervention, considering the crucial afferent connections to the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.”
More about Cognito Therapeutics and its latest results
According to Cognito, white matter degeneration can affect brain function and connectivity. Myelin ensheathes axons and facilitates local and distant neuronal communication. Evaluating white matter volume nad myelin content could provide valuable insight into Alzheimer’s progression, Cognito says.
The company’s technology utilizes a non-invasive approach to induce increased gamma frequency brain activity. It uses specific frequencies of auditory and visual neuromodulation. Cognito Therapeutics this year raised $73 million to support the development of the system.
OVERTURE was a randomized, controlled clinical trial. It offered patients daily, non-invasive, combined visual and auditory 40 Hz stimulation for six months with Cognito therapy. A subset of patients who met inclusion criteria for detailed white matter and myelin content (38 and 36 patients, respectively) are also in the analysis.
The study performed white matter volume assessments with T1-weighted MRI. It evaluated myelin content with T1-weighted/T2-weighted MRI ratios. Cognito said it looked at treatment effects on white matter atrophy and myelin content loss over six months.
“White matter atrophy and myelin loss may be a mechanistically important AD treatment target and may identify individuals at high risk of disease progression,” said Brent Vaughan, CEO, Cognito Therapeutics. “Our Phase 2 OVERTURE study imaging results published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, show that our proprietary gamma sensory stimulation reduced white matter atrophy and preserved brain myelin content in patients. We look forward to advancing our Phase 3 HOPE study to bring this novel disease modifying therapy to patients.”
