Posted on 12/26/2022 8:22:02 AM PST by ConservativeMind
Clinical studies testing the safety and efficacy of 40Hz sensory stimulation to treat Alzheimer's disease have found the therapy was well tolerated, produced no serious adverse effects and was associated with some significant neurological and behavioral benefits.
Tsai's lab discovered exposing mice to light flickering or sound clicking at the gamma-band brain rhythm frequency of 40Hz produced improvements in learning and memory; reduced brain atrophy, neuron and synapse loss; and showed lower levels of hallmark Alzheimer's proteins amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau.
In the Phase 1 study, volunteers filled out a questionnaire. Meanwhile, measurements taken with EEG scalp electrodes clustered at frontal and occipital sites showed significant increases in 40Hz rhythm power at each cortical site among cognitively normal younger and older participants as well as volunteers with mild Alzheimer's. The readings also demonstrated significant increase in coherence at the 40Hz frequency between the two sites. Between the two volunteers with epilepsy, measurements showed significant increases in 40Hz power in deeper brain regions such as the gyrus rectus, amygdala, hippocampus and insula with no adverse events including seizures.
In the Phase 2A study, volunteers treated with 40Hz stimulation experienced several beneficial effects that reached statistical significance. Control participants exhibited two signs of brain atrophy: reduced volume of the hippocampus and increased volume of open spaces, or ventricles. Treated patients did not experience significant changes in these measures. Treated patients also exhibited better connectivity across brain regions involved in the brain's default mode and medial visual networks, which are related to cognition and visual processing respectively. Treated patients also exhibited more consistent sleep patterns.
Neither treatment and control groups showed any differences after just three months on most cognitive tests, but the treatment group did perform significantly better on a face-name association test, a memory task with a strong visual component.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I already do this with trans cranial current stimulation (low current <2mA; applied through reusable electrode pads).
Glad this is type of therapy is not harming volunteers.
The ECT that I was referencing is different and was banned by the FDA in 2020 and the story out of MA is from NBC, here
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/decades-long-fight-over-electric-shock-treatment-led-fda-ban-n1265546.
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