A device that stimulates the vagus nerve during sleep has been shown to improve cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s patients after one month of treatment, according to research by scientists from Łódź published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The Vguard system, developed under the supervision of Łódź neurologist Professor Adam Broncel, uses electrodes placed in the auricle to deliver controlled electrical impulses to the central nervous system during sleep.
The researchers say the stimulation supports natural brain mechanisms involved in memory consolidation and could help patients with memory disorders perform everyday activities.
The study involved multi-stage clinical testing, including a randomised, double-blind trial with a control group receiving sham stimulation. According to the authors, repeated night-time stimulation of the vagus nerve produced measurable improvements in patients’ cognitive performance.
Significant changes in standardised cognitive tests were recorded after the first month of treatment, the researchers said.
The study also reported a high safety profile for the therapy, with no serious side effects recorded during the trials.
“For us, official publication in such a prestigious journal is hard scientific evidence. We have confirmed that stimulation during sleep, when the brain naturally consolidates memory traces, allows us to effectively support patients and reverse some of the symptoms of memory impairment”, Broncel emphasises.
The researchers say using neuromodulation at the stage of mild cognitive impairment could potentially delay or reduce the risk of developing fully symptomatic dementia.
The publication marks the latest stage in more than 10 years of research into the technology. The project included animal studies conducted at the laboratories of the Department of Neurobiology of the University of Łódź.
Broncel, a neurologist and co-author of the method, has researched the effect of vagus nerve stimulation on the induction of theta rhythm in the hippocampus.
Vguard has been awarded six global patents and has undergone a regulatory process resulting in CE MDR medical certification for the treatment of cognitive disorders associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the company.
The company is now moving towards commercialisation, saying the system will initially be made available to patients in Poland on prescription outside clinical trials.
It plans to make the system widely available in Poland by the end of this year, while also expanding into Germany and beginning the FDA certification process in the United States.
The project won the EEC Startup Challenge 2026 in the “Solutions for people” category at the European Economic Congress in Katowice and was also a finalist at the Health.tech Global Summit in Basel.
The company says it has raised PLN 5.5 million from Polish technology investors to prepare for multi-centre research and commercialisation.
Alzheimer's disease is one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. It is estimated that by 2050, the number of people suffering from it in the world will increase from the current 47 million to 134 million. (PAP)
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