A randomized controlled clinical trial, published in the Journal of Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/em>, evaluated the feasibility, safety and motor effects of the REAC\u00ae protocol of Neuro Postural Optimization (NPO) in a population of elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease, most of them with advanced dementia.<\/p>\n The trial was conducted at the Alzheimer's Center of the Reina Sof\u00eda Foundation in Madrid, with a single-centre, randomized, controlled, double-blind and cross-over design. 60 patients participated (average age 84.1 years; 86.7% women), from both residential and day centre facilities, diagnosed with probable Alzheimer\u2019s disease according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria and predominantly moderate-severe GDS stage (GDS 6\u20137: 86.7% of participants).<\/p>\n Patients were randomized into two groups:<\/p>\n The treatment consisted of a single radiofrequency pulse of 250 milliseconds at 10.5 GHz, applied via the REAC\u00ae probe in contact with a specific area of the auricle, according to the NPO protocol. The sham procedure was identical in the mode of administration, but without energy delivery.<\/p>\n Motor assessments were carried out at seven time points: baseline (T1), immediately after treatment (T2), 7 days (T3) and 11 days (T4) after treatment; then, after the cross-over, immediately (T5), at 7 days (T6) and 11 days (T7). The instruments used included:<\/p>\n Safety monitoring covered the entire study period (35 days), recording falls, infections, emergency department visits, hospitalisations and any clinically relevant event.<\/p>\n The NPO protocol proved easy to administer and was well accepted by almost all participants. The mean time needed to administer the treatment (or sham) was about six minutes per patient. Only one case required postponement to the following day because of lack of cooperation.<\/p>\n In the first phase of the trial, statistically significant results (p< 0.05 corrected for FDR) included:<\/p>\n In the second phase (after the cross-over), the results did not consistently confirm the effects observed in the first phase, probably because of non-specific learning or novelty effects introduced by prior exposure to the procedure.<\/p>\n Overall, the safety profile was favourable. A total of seven falls occurred throughout the study period: one with harmful consequences (in a patient in the sham group, before receiving any active treatment) and six non-harmful. There was no fall within seven days of NPO administration; a single fall occurred the following week in a patient who had received NPO. The urinary infections detected were in line with the pre-treatment baseline frequency.<\/p>\n The authors note that although efficacy results did not fully confirm data from the previous pilot trial \u2014 where immediate transient axial worsening and delayed gait improvement had been observed \u2014 the feasibility and safety of the NPO protocol was extended and confirmed in a larger and more fragile population.<\/p>\n The discrepancies with the pilot are attributed to possible differences in sample characteristics (inclusion of \u201cpossible\u201d as well as \u201cprobable\u201d cases), a less pronounced floor effect for axial movements, and potential novelty effects that introduced variability into the results. The authors themselves point out that the post-hoc analysis of the Steps\u00d7Seconds Test outcomes did not reach statistical significance.<\/p>\n Despite these limitations, the study highlights one important aspect: In advanced Alzheimer\u2019s disease, where motor cortical structures and neural gait networks are relatively preserved compared to cognitive areas, a non-invasive modulatory approach such as REAC\u00ae NPO could act by reducing potential cortical hyperactivation, favouring more efficient neural recruitment.<\/p>\n The authors conclude by hoping for a trial with the more intensive protocol REAC\u00ae NPPO (Neuropsycho Physical Optimization), already safely administered in patients with mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease, which had shown benefits on cognition, behavior and autonomy in the activities of daily life.<\/p>\n The REAC\u00ae technology (Radio Electric Asymmetric Conveyer<\/em>) is developed by the Rinaldi Fontani Institute in Florence and produces very short-duration radiofrequency pulses at specific frequencies (2.4 \u2013 5.4 \u2013 10.5 GHz), administered by means of a probe applied to the ear. The electromagnetic output of the device is comparable to that of a home Wi-Fi router, but with significantly less power. The underlying biological mechanism includes the modulation of cellular activity in neuro and biostimulation, also documented in stem cell models and regenerative research.<\/p>\n The NPO protocol, which is the subject of this study, has been validated in previous studies in healthy subjects \u2014 where it reduced cortical activation during motor tasks \u2014 and in populations with different neurological conditions, with benefits on balance and posture.<\/p>\n This randomized cross-over trial is one of the first controlled trials of REAC\u00ae technology in a population with advanced dementia. The data, although not conclusive in terms of effectiveness, confirm the safety and excellent acceptability of the method also in elderly and fragile patients. The total absence of falls in the first week post-treatment and the absence of device-related adverse events are clinically relevant.<\/p>\n For professionals working in the neurological, geriatric or rehabilitative field, REAC\u00ae technology offers a very low risk profile and a rapid and non-invasive mode of administration, characteristics that make it potentially integrable into multimodal protocols for the management of motor complications of Alzheimer's disease.<\/p>\nStudy design<\/h2>\n
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![\"Technology-reac-optimization-neuro-postural-disease-alzheimer's](\"https:\/\/asmed.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ottimizzazione-neuro-posturale-malattia-alzheimer-1024x559-1.webp\")
<\/figure>\nMeasurements and evaluations<\/h2>\n
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Feasibility and acceptability<\/h3>\n
Motor effects<\/h3>\n
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Safety<\/h3>\n
Discussion and clinical implications<\/h2>\n
Technological context: what is REAC\u00ae technology<\/h2>\n
Conclusions<\/h2>\n