Cognito Therapeutics announced that at the 2025 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference, it presented new cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomic and electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarker data for its investigational therapy Spectris in Alzheimer’s disease.
In the CSF proteomics analysis from the FLICKER trial, daily use of Spectris was associated with a statistically significant increase in the abundance of Neuritin‑1—a neurotrophic factor tied to synaptic remodeling, dendritic stability, and synaptic retention, which are central to neural plasticity and cognitive resilience. Beyond Neuritin-1, the study found coordinated changes in proteins related to immune regulation, oxidative stress, and extracellular matrix remodeling (all with p < 0.01), suggesting that Spectris may engage multiple pathways linked to neuroprotection and brain resilience.
Separate data from the OVERTURE randomized controlled trial showed that over six months of Spectris treatment, participants demonstrated reduced progression of EEG patterns typically seen in Alzheimer’s disease—including attenuation of changes in the theta/alpha ratio. This EEG shift may indicate that Spectris helps stabilize brain network activity and counters disease-related electrophysiological deterioration.
Cognito described these biomarker findings as reinforcing the biological rationale for Spectris: that non-invasive, at-home gamma-frequency neurostimulation can activate mechanisms of neuroplasticity, synaptic stabilization, and brain resilience. The company highlighted that these results add to previous reports showing Spectris’s effects on cognition, daily function, and brain volume preservation.
While the data are preliminary, they support the prospect of Spectris as a novel, non-pharmacological option to slow neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease—by engaging intrinsic protective pathways rather than solely targeting disease pathology.
