Maybe if my mom had dropped Molly and listened to EDM instead of Mozart she wouldn't have died from Alzheimer's two weeks ago.
6
This reminds me of a fascinating book called "The Ghost in My Brain," by Clark Elliott, PhD. Professor Elliott suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) as the result of a collision, and became extremely disabled for years. Through the new modality of neuro-optometry, which utilizes specific applications of light, he was able to regain normal brain function.
http://clarkelliott.com/
13
Greenpa in Minnesota wrote "...spirochetes; the lovely parasitic protozoa also responsible for syphilis and Lyme disease..." . Really? Spirochetes are bacteria not protozoa and different spirochetes cause syphilis versus Lyme disease. Inaccuracies about the simple biology of the possible pathogen reduce confidence in the ideas presented.
6
Science is so cool.
7
This has a FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON vibe.
14
Some of my power tools make clicks like that. But how close to 40 Hz does it need to be?
this is interesting, to be sure; but not as interesting as the large amount of research to be found here; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5008232/
An NIH publication, mind; not some wacko on FaceBook. And the first sentence has to be one that will go down in history as one of the all time most courageous scientific statements: "Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an infectious disease caused by spirochetes, ..."
News travels very slowly in science. This paper is from 2016; and there are others now providing evidence that spirochetes; the lovely parasitic protozoa also responsible for syphilis and Lyme disease, can rather commonly be found - inside the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Forming biofilms, one of the things spirochetes do.
I'd love to see the NYT do an in-depth report on this edge of science; whether it turns out to be truly cutting, or not.
22
@Greenpa
Agreed - would love to see the NYTimes do a report on this.
News does travel fast among scientists, but teasing out cause and effect (much less treatment) is tough and takes time. As you mention, there are neuroscientists looking into this and getting involved in getting a better image of what's happening in the brain, which is difficult in of itself.
8
Well okay, let's change America's electrical grid from 60-Hz AC to 40-Hz AC. Then our fluorescent lights would flash at 40 Hz; "60-cycle hum" would be 40-cycle hum -- not quite "clicks," but better than nothing?
I'm kidding, of course, but it makes a person think, huh? If 40 Hz were "good," would 60 Hz be "better," or would it be "worse?" How about looking to Europe and other countries that run on 50-Hz AC power? Crazy results justify crazy ideas.
6
I listened to the "clicking sounds" sample over and over for 5 minutes, and got a slight headache. I wonder if the sounds would be as effective if they were played "underneath" music. That would make the therapy tolerable for almost anyone.
3
AC power uses 60 Hz in the US and Canada and 50 Hz in many other parts of the world. It's why some people sense flickering in fluorescent lights. The old style fluorescent ballasts also produce a 60 cycle hum, as do poorly grounded AV speakers. 60 Hz was chosen since it resulted in smaller transformers. Some early European AC supplies used 40 Hz. In light of this study, one wonders what would have happened if that had been used as the standard.
5
Light and sound devices to synchronize brain waves have been around for a couple of decades now. They range from small units you can buy for a few hundred dollars to clinical quality designed for professionals. And yes, if used regularly, they can work quite well. A friend used one, under the supervision of a specialist, to recover from a severe concussion. She was able to return to work within a few weeks. There are no magical guarantees but they are relatively speaking, inexpensive and safe, plus most people find them relaxing and enjoyable.
9
I diagnosed myself with early Parkinson’s disease, and had the diagnosis confirmed by a movement disorders specialist. I was unwilling to wait for a clinical trial. I’m wearing a flashing light device as I write this. My neurologist doesn’t really approve, but given the side effects of currently available treatments, I was willing to try anything. After 2 months of using the device, I have experienced no side effects. But I can’t say that I’ve experienced any improvement either. Try Google. The devices currently being used in clinical trials are available without a prescription. Note that I am not offering medical advice, just describing my personal experience. I agree with my neurologist—there is likely a small risk of a seizure and resultant brain damage or death with the devices. I don’t skydive or bungee jump, so I am willing to live dangerously to possibly prevent dementia and severe disability.
38
given the proposed target (microglia), maybe this strategy might help treat some forms of ASD. unfortunately ASD mouse models are even worse than the mouse Alzheimer's models.
1
Sounds like video games to me!
5
Junk science reaches new heights. Depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, anxiety, all have been cured in mice long ago. Artful, sometimes self-delusional, other times willful misinterpretation of behavioral effects of various chemicals and external stimuli in mice has propelled many careers and made millionaires of people who had no business ever setting foot in a lab. It has also failed to lead to effective treatments in humans.
8
@Ronald Weinstein Please tell me and others what the cure is for Alzheimer's.
2
@Jim If I’m interpreting this correctly, @Ronald is pointing to the fact that while studies may show that a treatment is promising or seems effective in mice, that the same treatment does not have the expected outcome when applied in humans. As much as we use mice as the go-to model organism in research, there are limitations that we can’t always explain. Countless ALZ drug trials that were posotive in mice had unexpectedly lacking results in human drug trials. It’s frustrating and sad, but true.
12
@Jim It ain't light flashes and clicking noises.
1
I'll volunteer for the clinical trial, tell me where to sign up!
13
It’s unconscionable and unethical that this therapy isn’t being offered immediately to anyone suffering from Alzheimer’s. People with Alzheimer’s don’t have years to wait around for plodding clinical trials. Since the therapy holds promise and is non-invasive, with no bad side effects, there is absolutely no reason not to make this available to the broader public as soon as humanly possible. If it doesn’t work, no harm done, but if it does, then so many people could be helped. It should be left up to individuals to decide whether they’d like to try it or not. I guess the people making decisions about this don’t have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s, like I do. There is no sense of urgency or real compassion on the part of the researchers.
49
@Terry Fan
OK, but the researchers? Are you actually suggesting that they violate the law and FDA regulations?
Your beef isn't with them - it's with the FDA regulations on allowing therapies with minimal side effects and meeting a critical need. The last thing the researchers (or anyone) needs is for their lab to be shut down.
11
"Dr. Tsai said the company is not involved in her team’s academic research, which was funded by several foundations and the National Institutes of Health."
This research sounds exciting and promising. But, haven't we seen this before where taxpayer money is used for costly research and then the researchers form a private "unrelated" company to patent and cash in on the research at the expense of the public again?
18
@Jack Robinson
Google Bayh-Dole Act.
1
Maybe that's why music is so helpful to soothe Alzheimers patients. It helped my wife.
30
Fascinating!
“Experts cautioned that people should wait for clinical trial results and shouldn’t suddenly start illuminating their homes with disco strobes or pipe clicking sounds through their earbuds.” Good luck with that!
14
I want this now
17
Bring back disco
22