Thursday, March 19, 2015

Another Potential Alzheimer's Break-through

An alert reader tips us to this potentially outstanding news:

"[A] team of researchers have discovered a new non-invasive ultrasound technology that could be used to treat it and even possibly restore memory."

While we usually think of ultra-sounds at the other end of the life cycle, it appears that the tech could hold promise for folks at the far end suffering from dementia. It does this by attacking "neurotoxic amyloid plaques;" as we've previously blogged, "beta-amyloid, a protein fragment that accumulates in the brain of Alzheimer's sufferers to form the disease's signature plaques." In that post, we noted that some research seems to indicate that prolonged cell-phone use could actually be a way to break those down; this sonogram-type process seems a lot safer.

What's really exciting about this process is that it appears to actually restore memory, not just halt progression of the disease.

Research is still in the embryonic stage (SWIDT?), so only time will tell. Still, some really great news for those for whom this disease has been so horrible.

[Hat Tip: DoIB HS]
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