Photo: flickr
Australian scientists have found an Alzheimer’s treatment that can restore memory using ultrasound technology.
The Alzheimer’s treatment — which has been successfully tested on mice — does not involve drugs, but high frequency sound waves. The ultrasound waves oscillate tremendously quickly, activating microglial cells that digest and remove the amyloid plaques that destroy brain synapses.
Alzheimer’s sufferers’ brain contains of amyloid beta whih is a toxic plaque. Mice whose brains contained amyloid beta were tested on for the ultrasound technique. The ultrasound helps to clear the build-up of those toxic plaques. It restores those mice’s brain to the normal level like healthy ones.
The research is currently is at a very early stage. The ultrasound do not remove amyloid plaques and only work for a short time at the moment. And it is not sure if it clears toxic protein aggregates in other neurodegenerative desieases, or if it will help to restore executive function like decision making and motor control.
As this will primarily be using on the aging population, for those with amnesia. Therefore, the costs needs to be considered as antibiotics drug treatments etc. are expensie in the long run.
Source material from PsyBlog