Scientific Breakthrough: Alzheimer’s Ultrasound Therapy Fully Restores Memory Function in Mice
Contributing writer for Wake Up World Scientists in Brisbane, Australia, have discovered a non-invasive ultrasound technology that fully restores memory function in 75 percent of Alzheimer’s test animals. Affecting close to 50 million people worldwide, dementia — of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form — is expected to impact 135 million people by 2050. In the United States, Alzheimer’s strikes one in eight elderly Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death. Over 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s and other dementias [source] and, in 2016 alone, an estimated $236 billion was spent in supporting Alzheimer’s patients, making it the most expensive disease in America. [source] Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease in which abnormal protein deposits (otherwise known as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) accumulate in the brain and cause cells to die. It is a devastating experience for both the patient and family members — so it goes without saying, any method that can slow or reverse the progression of this disease is desperately needed. For years, however, effective pharmaceuticals and other treatment options have been limited — until now. The Ravages of Alzheimer’sIf you haven’t had direct experience with a family member suffering from Alzheimer’s, there’s a good chance you know someone who has. In the United States the disease is expected to increase 44 percent by 2025 — with Western and Southeastern states hit the hardest. Sherry’s story is just one of many that illustrates the life-changing impact a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has on the patient and family members.
For people like Sherry’s mom, her care involved making sure she was safe and comfortable. Current treatment options to slow or reverse the disease are limited — which is why a recent discovery at the University of Queensland could offer a ray of hope to Alzheimer’s patients and their families. New Alzheimer’s Treatment Improves Memory Without Damage to Brain Tissue
Australian researchers believe they’ve found a technology that could be a game changer in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease: high-energy ultrasound.
For several weeks, mice who had been genetically altered to produce amyloid plaques in the brain were treated with focused beams of ultrasound. What the scientists discovered was startling — in 75 percent of the animals, the plaque was completely cleared with zero brain tissue damage.
Even though there is still some debate in scientific circles as to whether plaque is the cause or merely a symptom of the disease, the experiment established that mice who received the treatment had significantly improved memory over the course of three different tests — a maze, a challenge to get them to recognize new objects, and another to have them remember the places they should avoid. The research team hopes to start human trials sometime in 2017. To learn more about causes and emerging treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, please visit our Alzheimer’s research page. Article sources:
About the author: Carolanne Wright enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. |