The Effects of Chiropractic Spinal Adjustment on EEG in Adults with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Randomised Cross-over Trial

Objectives: In this study, we explored the effects of chiropractic spinal adjustments on resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) recordings and early somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Methods: In this randomized cross-over study, 14 adults with Alzheimer’s disease (average age 67 ± 6 years, 2 females:12 males) and 14 adults with Parkinson’s disease (average age 62 ± 11 years, 1 female:13 males) participated. The participants underwent chiropractic spinal adjustments and a control (sham) intervention in a randomized order, with a minimum of one week between each intervention. EEG was recorded before and after each intervention, both during rest and stimulation of the right median nerve. The power-spectra was calculated for resting-state EEG, and the amplitude of the N30 peak was assessed for the SEPs. The source localization was performed on the power-spectra of resting-state EEG and the N30 SEP peak. Results: Chiropractic spinal adjustment significantly reduced the N30 peak in individuals with Alzheimer’s by 15% (p = 0.027). While other outcomes did not reach significance, resting-state EEG showed an increase in absolute power in all frequency bands after chiropractic spinal adjustments in individuals with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The findings revealed a notable enhancement in connectivity within the Default Mode Network (DMN) at the alpha, beta, and theta frequency bands among individuals undergoing chiropractic adjustments. Conclusions: We found that it is feasible to record EEG/SEP in individuals with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, a single session of chiropractic spinal adjustment reduced the somatosensory evoked N30 potential and enhancement in connectivity within the DMN at the alpha, beta, and theta frequency bands in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Future studies may require a larger sample size to estimate the effects of chiropractic spinal adjustment on brain activity. Given the preliminary nature of our findings, caution is warranted when considering the clinical implications.