Cognitive impairments pose a global burden. It always demands new and effective interventions to alleviate cognitive dysfunction. Sensory entrainment is the process by which neural oscillations are modulated by rhythmic sensory stimulation. Interventions based on this concept could potentially enhance cognition. However, there is a lack of consolidated evidence on the efficacy of cognitive functions in adults with cognitive impairments. Our systematic review aims to address this gap. A comprehensive search was conducted across four databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed) for English articles up to September 2025. We included articles that examine the efficacy of intervention using visual, auditory, and vibrating entrainment on cognitive functions in adults with cognitive impairments. Two reviewers independently selected articles and extracted data. Thirteen articles were included: four randomized controlled trials, six quasi-experimental studies, one case study, and two case series. Studies on different cognitive impairments vary in stimulation protocols and intervention duration. While not all cognitive domains showed significant improvement after the intervention, this review supports the efficacy of interventions based on sensory entrainment for the rehabilitation of cognitive functions in adults with cognitive impairments.

I first completed my bachelor’s degree in Sports Rehabilitation at Beijing Sport University in 2021, before receiving a master’s degree in Sports Training. I’m now a PhD candidate at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. My current research aims to investigate the effect of neural entrainment, a novel technique for cognitive enhancement in older adults and to evaluate the brain response using EEG during neural entrainment. The findings will help healthcare professionals to enhance cognitive function in aging adults with cognitive impairment which effective treatments are currently lacking, and to deepen the understanding of brain response induced by neural entrainment.