Neurological diseases are often multifactorial, involving multiple biological systems within a single disease spectrum and arising from the nonlinear interplay of risk genes, dynamic biological determinants, and environmental factors. A precision medicine paradigm is crucial for addressing the unmet needs of neurological diseases, which frequently lack effective treatments and pose an increasing burden on healthcare systems and societies worldwide. In the case of brain proteinopathies—including protein misfolding disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease—approved treatments have primarily consisted of drugs with limited efficacy over time and high interindividual variability in response. Digital twins offer a promising approach by enabling the identification of individualized brain targets for stimulation, thereby maximizing treatment efficacy and predicting disease progression.

However, using digital twins and other computational tools for treating neurological disorders raises many ethical and legal challenges that should be addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective. Some of these challenges have to do with personal identity and psychological integrity. Another important challenge is investigating how a computationally designed treatment's therapeutic/surgical application affects patients differently. All these challenges can be addressed from an ethical perspective, including normative and regulatory issues related to the recently raised concept of 'neurorights'.

The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together the latest empirical and computational studies on brain stimulation in the context of Alzheimer’s disease to foster a dialogue between neurotechnology and clinical trials. Additionally, we aim to highlight the importance of complementing these interventions and personalized computational models with a critical examination of their ethical-legal implications.

In this Research Topic, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• The role of digital phenotyping in predicting cognitive decline and intervention outcomes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

• The development of computational models exploring the interplay between proteinopathy in AD and brain dynamics.

• The use of digital twins to promote healthy brain dynamics in AD.

• Empirical studies on brain stimulation in AD.

• A critical analysis of the ethical implications of translating digital twins into clinical practice (research papers and opinion pieces).

This Research Topic highlights the need for precision medicine to tailor brain stimulation treatments to individual patients while emphasizing the importance of an ethical and regulatory framework to safeguard patients' rights.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Computational tools in Alzheimer’s Disease: advancing precision medicine and protecting neurorights