Primary and secondary outcomes
| Outcome measures | Mean (SD) at week 2 | Mean (SD) change (week 2 vs baseline) | Estimated adjusted difference (95% CI)* | P value† | Effect size (Cohen’s d) | ||
| Circuit-based PAS (n=21) | Sham PAS (n=21) | Circuit-based PAS (n=21) | Sham PAS (n=21) | ||||
| Primary outcome | |||||||
| AVLT_N5 | 5.29 (1.98) | 3.86 (2.39) | 2.86 (1.80) | 1.33 (1.32) | 1.52 (0.54 to 2.51) | 0.003 | 0.97 |
| Secondary outcomes | |||||||
| AVLT | 29.24 (7.84) | 25.00 (9.15) | 11.43 (6.22) | 6.38 (5.27) | 5.06 (1.46 to 8.65) | 0.007 | 0.88 |
| AVLT_IR | 18.43 (4.28) | 16.57 (5.06) | 6.00 (3.54) | 3.38 (3.81) | 2.46 (0.20 to 4.73) | 0.034 | 0.71 |
| AVLT_N1 | 5.00 (1.79) | 3.86 (1.82) | 2.29 (1.42) | 0.95 (1.83) | 1.27 (0.27 to 2.28) | 0.014 | 0.82 |
| AVLT_N2 | 6.33 (1.53) | 5.86 (1.77) | 1.91 (1.34) | 1.14 (1.11) | 0.70 (−0.05 to 1.45) | 0.066 | |
| AVLT_N3 | 7.10 (1.70) | 6.86 (1.85) | 1.81 (1.91) | 1.29 (2.15) | 0.34 (−0.69 to 1.37) | 0.512 | |
| AVLT_N4 | 5.52 (2.23) | 4.57 (2.29) | 2.57 (1.94) | 1.67 (1.53) | 0.91 (−0.16 to 1.99) | 0.094 | |
| AVLT_N6 | 5.14 (1.82) | 3.91 (2.21) | 2.86 (1.68) | 1.05 (1.86) | 1.57 (0.52 to 2.62) | 0.004 | 1.02 |
| AVLT_N7 | 20.33 (2.69) | 20.81 (2.50) | 1.81 (3.19) | 1.00 (2.28) | 0.55 (−1.44 to 1.55) | 0.941 | |
| MMSE | 27.29 (1.95) | 27.10 (1.73) | 0.48 (2.38) | 1.14 (1.77) | −0.08 (−1.18 to 1.02) | 0.883 | |
| STT-B, s | 200.24 (58.81) | 192.79 (104.31) | −12.51 (82.47) | 7.22 (50.10) | −9.61 (−47.25 to 28.04) | 0.609 | |
| SDMT_correct | 32.57 (14.57) | 31.05 (13.72) | 8.24 (12.33) | 1.33 (9.98) | 5.32 (−1.45 to 12.09) | 0.12 | |
| BNT | 22.48 (3.03) | 21.95 (2.87) | 2.67 (2.63) | 0.62 (2.36) | 1.37 (0.99 to 2.63) | 0.035 | 0.82 |
| CFT_copy | 29.61 (4.17) | 31.37 (4.51) | 2.39 (5.61) | 2.16 (4.16) | −0.89 (−3.17 to 1.40) | 0.436 | |
*For estimated adjusted difference values, positive values indicate greater change in the treatment group, while negative values indicate greater change in the sham stimulation group.
†p values represent the statistical significance of differences in the change of outcome measures from baseline to the intervention’s end across groups.
AVLT_IR, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, total score of immediate recall; AVLT_N1, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, first immediate recall; AVLT_N2, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, second immediate recall; AVLT_N3, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, the third immediate recall; AVLT_N4, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, short-term delay recall; AVLT_N5, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, long-term delay recall; AVLT_N6, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, long delay cued recall; AVLT_N7, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, recognition; BNT, Boston Naming Test; CFT_copy, Complex Figure Test, copy part; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; SDMT_correct, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, correct number; STT_B, Shape Trails Test, part B.