The approved treatment for Alzheimer’s disease — a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual decline in memory and thinking skills — is a drug that doesn’t have much of an effect, but produces serious and sometimes fatal side effects. And that’s why scientists look for treatments that can manage the symptoms of diseases without involving drugs.

One of the successful experimental treatments that can slow the progression of symptoms is the transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS device – which is also used to safely treat depression and other mental illnesses.

According to the researchers, who presented their findings in Clinical Trials at the Alzheimer’s Disease meeting in Madrid, they have been able to target a key brain network involved in storing memories – the one most affected by the disease. The scientists said they found that when the device is targeted to the right place in the brain, it can slow the development of symptoms such as memory loss compared to passive treatment.

what happens in alzheimer’s,

Alzheimer’s is characterized by changes in your brain that cause certain proteins – beta-amyloid and tau – to accumulate, causing the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die, leading to memory loss.

Several previous studies have indicated that the accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau impairs the ability of neurons to form new connections and maintain existing connections. “The goal is to restore connections between neurons by increasing activity in certain areas related to the disease,” says Dr. Giacomo Koch, professor of human physiology at the University of Ferrara and one of the co-founders of Synaptica, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company. is developing a therapy in the U.S., told NBC News. “This therapy is like training for neurons.”

How does TMS work?

TMS works to strengthen muscles in a similar way to exercise, and the electrical signals generated by TMS may also increase the ability of neurons to make connections with each other.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 7 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s and the number is expected to reach 13.8 million by 2060. The new study, a Phase 2 clinical trial, involved 32 volunteers with Alzheimer’s disease, aged 56 to 88 at the start of the study, who were monitored for 52 weeks. Sixteen of the participants who received treatment were women.

According to the researchers, they could find the exact locations in the brain’s default mode network, which is involved in storing memories of life events, that benefit most from electrical stimulation, by using TMS to “ping” different sites. Will pick up. Upon precise location activation by lightning, a signal will spread across the network like the waves seen when a stone is thrown into water.

At least 18 volunteers were given weekly 20-minute sessions with TMS, while 14 others received so-called sham treatment, in which participants were treated as if they were receiving TMS therapy, but placebo was excluded. without turning on the device. Effect. The TMS device was important to the research because it allowed electrical signals to be generated in the brain without any sensation.

“It would be almost impossible to use electric current because it would be too painful,” Koch said. “In this case, we can use very powerful magnetic fields, which are well tolerated and safe, to induce strong electrical currents in the brain.”

Side effects include mild headache, skin irritations, and neck pain.

After comparing the two groups using standard cognitive tests, researchers found that the rate of worsening of symptoms was 44 percent slower in the patients who received TMS therapy. Additionally, those who received the TMS trials for one year showed a slight decline in their abilities to perform activities of daily living. “This is important not only for the patient but also for the caregivers,” Koch said.

Researchers are now planning a Phase 3 trial, which will require Food and Drug Administration approval.

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