Can Ultrasound Help Treat Alzheimer s?
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That may sound like it’s straight out of a science fiction movie, but it’s not. What’s called focused ultrasound technology is just one of the many avenues scientists are exploring in an ongoing quest to find a treatment for the most common type of dementia. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. “We need to really explore and be bold in terms of the way we’re looking at Alzheimer’s, because the disease is not going away, it’s increasing,” says neurosurgeon Ali Rezai, M.D., executive chair of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University and a leading researcher on the topic. In fact, the number of people living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, globally is expected to by 2050, published in The Lancet predicts. Cases in the U.S. could increase from nearly 5. 3 million (a 2019 statistic) to about 10.5 million during that same time. All the while, effective treatments for the disease have come up short. Numerous clinical trials testing drugs designed to stop or slow the progression of the disease — not just ease its symptoms — have failed or have yet to to patients, prompting researchers to cast a wider net and explore a more diverse array of targets and technologies that could help solve the . “In the field, we’re certainly keeping all options open,” says Ronald Petersen, M.D., an Alzheimer’s expert and director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, who is not involved in focused ultrasound research. “Because treatments are not going to result in a silver bullet for Alzheimer’s disease.” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. show that low-intensity ultrasound waves targeted at specific regions of the brain can safely open the blood-brain barrier — a roadblock of sorts that prevents toxins, germs and other substances in the bloodstream from entering the brain tissue. And temporarily opening the barrier in areas of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease could give researchers a new way to deliver drugs and therapeutics straight to the source. “Most of the things that are really cutting-edge and interesting, like gene therapies and cell therapies, require you to directly inject them into the brain,” says Michael Kaplitt, M.D., a neurosurgeon and vice chair for research at Weill Cornell Medicine, who has worked with Rezai on focused ultrasound research. “What if you could do this without brain surgery?” Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > It’s also possible that opening the blood-brain barrier could be helpful on its own, though more research is needed. Rezai, Kaplitt and a team of researchers found that clinical trial participants in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease saw a — sticky protein clumps that impair communication between neurons and are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. “Whether that will be enough to help the patient long term, I just don’t know yet. That’s what we’re still testing,” Kaplitt says. Scientists are also still studying whether removing amyloid plaques improves Alzheimer’s symptoms. WVU Photo/ Greg Ellis It’s unclear why opening the blood-brain barrier may cause a reduction in amyloid plaques, but one theory is it activates the system in the brain responsible for clearing out waste. Another idea: The ultrasound itself could be shattering the plaques “into a smaller, more soluble protein complex that can be cleared more readily,” Rezai postulates. Whatever the mechanism, the researchers have found “no meaningful cognitive or behavioral worsening” among clinical trial participants after several procedures, Rezai says. Some patients have reported positive changes — .
AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. A heart-healthy diet Strong social connections Controlling high blood pressure Not smoking Getting plenty of sleep Staying mentally active Treating hearing problems Taking care of your mental health Managing your blood sugar Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “I think the most important thing that we’ve been showing is that this seems to be very safe and well tolerated,” Kaplitt says.
Can Ultrasound Help Treat Alzheimer s
Researchers are studying how the technology can impact dementia and the brain
Insightec Imagine strapping on a high-tech helmet, lying on an MRI table and, after microbubbles bounce in your blood vessels and ultrasound waves are beamed at your brain, walking away with fewer symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.That may sound like it’s straight out of a science fiction movie, but it’s not. What’s called focused ultrasound technology is just one of the many avenues scientists are exploring in an ongoing quest to find a treatment for the most common type of dementia. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. “We need to really explore and be bold in terms of the way we’re looking at Alzheimer’s, because the disease is not going away, it’s increasing,” says neurosurgeon Ali Rezai, M.D., executive chair of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University and a leading researcher on the topic. In fact, the number of people living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, globally is expected to by 2050, published in The Lancet predicts. Cases in the U.S. could increase from nearly 5. 3 million (a 2019 statistic) to about 10.5 million during that same time. All the while, effective treatments for the disease have come up short. Numerous clinical trials testing drugs designed to stop or slow the progression of the disease — not just ease its symptoms — have failed or have yet to to patients, prompting researchers to cast a wider net and explore a more diverse array of targets and technologies that could help solve the . “In the field, we’re certainly keeping all options open,” says Ronald Petersen, M.D., an Alzheimer’s expert and director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, who is not involved in focused ultrasound research. “Because treatments are not going to result in a silver bullet for Alzheimer’s disease.” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. show that low-intensity ultrasound waves targeted at specific regions of the brain can safely open the blood-brain barrier — a roadblock of sorts that prevents toxins, germs and other substances in the bloodstream from entering the brain tissue. And temporarily opening the barrier in areas of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease could give researchers a new way to deliver drugs and therapeutics straight to the source. “Most of the things that are really cutting-edge and interesting, like gene therapies and cell therapies, require you to directly inject them into the brain,” says Michael Kaplitt, M.D., a neurosurgeon and vice chair for research at Weill Cornell Medicine, who has worked with Rezai on focused ultrasound research. “What if you could do this without brain surgery?” Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > It’s also possible that opening the blood-brain barrier could be helpful on its own, though more research is needed. Rezai, Kaplitt and a team of researchers found that clinical trial participants in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease saw a — sticky protein clumps that impair communication between neurons and are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. “Whether that will be enough to help the patient long term, I just don’t know yet. That’s what we’re still testing,” Kaplitt says. Scientists are also still studying whether removing amyloid plaques improves Alzheimer’s symptoms. WVU Photo/ Greg Ellis It’s unclear why opening the blood-brain barrier may cause a reduction in amyloid plaques, but one theory is it activates the system in the brain responsible for clearing out waste. Another idea: The ultrasound itself could be shattering the plaques “into a smaller, more soluble protein complex that can be cleared more readily,” Rezai postulates. Whatever the mechanism, the researchers have found “no meaningful cognitive or behavioral worsening” among clinical trial participants after several procedures, Rezai says. Some patients have reported positive changes — .
How it works Punching little holes in the barrier
First, it’s helpful to know that focused ultrasound isn’t new to medicine: It’s already used to treat symptoms of other neurodegenerative conditions like essential tremor and . The experimental technique that’s being explored in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s, however, is different. (It’s also different from the more routine ultrasound procedures that let expecting parents peek at their developing babies, or that allow doctors to see the pumping action of the heart.) AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. A heart-healthy diet Strong social connections Controlling high blood pressure Not smoking Getting plenty of sleep Staying mentally active Treating hearing problems Taking care of your mental health Managing your blood sugar Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “I think the most important thing that we’ve been showing is that this seems to be very safe and well tolerated,” Kaplitt says.