According to scientists and researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia, ultrasound can be used for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The illness is described as a progressive disease that causes severe memory loss and affects other vital mental functions. Millions of people worldwide suffer from this disease, which is also very difficult to treat. If this invention turns out effective, then it can be used to cure those inflicted by Alzheimer's and restore their memories.
The researchers from the University of Queensland's Brain Institute (UQBI) tested the said treatment on mice and obtained positive results. It was found that ultrasound can potentially break the plaques linked to the rat's brain that causes memory loss.
The researchers tested the theory by sending ultrasound waves to the brains of the rats affected with Alzheimer's. The waves broke up clusters of an amyloid beta plaque that cause the disease's development. These rats also showed improvement in memory tests like spatial recognition and maze navigation tests.
Mr. Gerhard Leinenga, a PhD student said, "In the Alzheimer's brain it's a toxic environment because there's this build-up of amyloid beta peptide in their brains so when it's removed in mice, as we show, their memory improves. In humans it's more difficult because the human brain is more complex and the human cognition is more complex, but certainly we envisage that if you can reduce these levels perhaps early when they're starting to build up in a human brain, you could rescue the memory impairment."
It remains uncertain whether the response in humans will be the same as rats but this discovery provided some further lead in the treatment of Alzheimer's.
"Definitely if we can improve the functioning in daily life and delay the progression of the disease, then it will have a huge benefit not just to the patients but to their families and carers," Mr. Leinenga said.
Scientists have also planned to test the effect of ultrasound in sheep and humans.
