echemi logo
Product
  • Product
  • Supplier
  • Inquiry
    Home > Active Ingredient News > Study of Nervous System > Nature: Deep brain stimulation can help treat Alzheimer's disease

    Nature: Deep brain stimulation can help treat Alzheimer's disease

    • Last Update: 2022-12-30
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
    Search more information of high quality chemicals, good prices and reliable suppliers, visit www.echemi.com
    Written byWang Cong
    EditorWang Duoyu TypesettingShui Chengwen
    Alzheimer's disease (AD).
    , commonly known as "Alzheimer's disease", is a serious neurodegenerative disease, patients usually appear memory loss, weakened learning ability symptoms, accompanied by emotional regulation disorders and loss of exercise ability, greatly affecting the development of
    individuals, families and even society.
    Currently, about 50 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer's disease
    .
    As human life expectancy increases and aging society intensifies, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is also rising, and it is expected that by 2050, the number of Alzheimer's disease patients will increase to more than
    150 million.

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) uses stereotaxic techniques to implant stimulation electrodes at specific targets in the brain for high-frequency electrical stimulation Thus, the excitability of the corresponding nuclear group is adjusted to achieve the therapeutic purpose
    .
    The method can be used to treat motor neurological disorders
    (e.
    g.
    , Parkinson's disease) and, in some clinical studies, is also promising for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders (e.
    g.
    , depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder),
    overeating, obesity
    .

    On December 14, 2022, researchers from the Charité Academy in Berlin published a report in the journal Nature Communications entitled : Research paper on optimal deep brain stimulation sites and networks for stimulation of the fornix in Alzheimer's disease
    .

    The study, which conducted a clinical trial of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the vault of the brain to treat Alzheimer's disease, showed that cognitive function improved
    in only a small number of patients.
    Further analysis by the research team revealed that
    the intersection of the fornix and the final stria in the brain may be the best area for DBS treatment, which paves the way
    for further research and treatment.


    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the implantation of ultra-thin electrodes into the patient's brain and connected to a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest through subcutaneous wires, which adjusts the intensity and frequency of electrical stimulation.
    This continuously sends gentle electrical signals
    to specific areas of the brain.

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been used to treat Parkinson's disease for 20 years, but it is not widely known
    .
    DBS has a significant effect on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and can greatly improve the quality of life of
    patients.
    Alzheimer's disease, like Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease, which means that DBS may also be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, but only if the precise brain region stimulated needs to be identified
    for safe and effective treatment
    .


    The study began with a Deep Brain Electrical Stimulation (DBS) study at the University of Toronto, Canada, in which electrical stimulation of the vaulting area of the brain caused flashbacks
    of memories from his childhood and adolescence in a patient undergoing obesity treatment.
    Alzheimer's disease is a progressive
    process of memory loss.
    Therefore, the research team speculates that stimulating the fornix area of the brain may also be suitable for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
    .

    In order to further test this conjecture, researchers from seven international research centers, including the Charité School in Berlin, the University of Toronto, and Harvard Medical School, collaborated to conduct a multicenter study
    .
    They implanted electrodes in the same area of the vault in the brain of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease for deep brain stimulation (DBS)
    treatment
    .
    Most patients do not improve in their symptoms, but a few benefit greatly from DBS treatment
    .
    To find the root cause of these differences, the research team compared the exact location
    of each participant's electrodes.
    Professor Andreas Horn's team has been focusing on analyzing high-resolution magnetic resonance images of the big brain, and in this study, they combined it with computer models to pinpoint the optimal location
    of DBS.
    One of the main challenges with this research is that everyone's brain is different, which is important for accurately implanting electrodes that can lead to ineffectiveness
    for patients when placed just a few millimeters away from the target area.
    Based on high-resolution magnetic resonance images of the brain, Andreas Horn's team determined the exact location of the brain that could benefit patients, and found that the best place for electrical stimulation was the intersection of two fibrous bundles that connect deep regions of the brain, the fornix and the final striae, both of which are involved
    in memory function.

    Professor Andreas Horn said there was an urgent need for an effective treatment to alleviate Alzheimer's disease and that deep brain stimulation (DBS) was very promising
    .

    The research team said further research will be conducted to investigate and identify other neural networks in the brain that may be useful in treating Alzheimer's disease, including examining areas of brain lesions and identifying target regions
    for DBS and other neurostimulation methods.

    Link to paper: style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);font-size: 12px;" _mstmutation="1" _istranslated="1">
    Open reprint, welcome to forward to Moments and WeChat groups




     
    This article is an English version of an article which is originally in the Chinese language on echemi.com and is provided for information purposes only. This website makes no representation or warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness ownership or reliability of the article or any translations thereof. If you have any concerns or complaints relating to the article, please send an email, providing a detailed description of the concern or complaint, to service@echemi.com. A staff member will contact you within 5 working days. Once verified, infringing content will be removed immediately.

    Contact Us

    The source of this page with content of products and services is from Internet, which doesn't represent ECHEMI's opinion. If you have any queries, please write to service@echemi.com. It will be replied within 5 days.

    Moreover, if you find any instances of plagiarism from the page, please send email to service@echemi.com with relevant evidence.