Visual Stimulation Treats Alzheimer’s Plaques in Mice
NewsNYSCF – Robertson Neuroscience Investigator Dr. Ed Boyden and his team at MIT Media Lab published their latest work on an exciting new, noninvasive approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease. Using LED lights flickering at a specific frequency, the researchers have shown that they can substantially reduce the beta amyloid plaques, hallmark neurological build-ups seen in Alzheimer’s disease, in the visual cortex of mice.
Described in Nature, this technique appears to work by inducing brain waves known as gamma oscillations, which the researchers discovered help the brain suppress beta amyloid production and invigorate cells responsible for destroying the plaques.
This research represents a potential breakthrough in the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating disorder affecting millions around the world.