Brain Pacemakers Used To Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

Brain Pacemakers Used To Treat Alzheimer’s Disease | Singularity Hub: "In an effort to alleviate the symptoms of a disease that has stubbornly resisted treatment, scientists are turning to a therapy that may appear more likely to be encountered on the sick bay of the starship Enterprise rather than in our real life clinics.



Scientists at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have begun a trial to test whether or not a deep brain stimulation device – a “brain pacemaker” – can ward off the debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Their first patient, Kathy Sanford, received the implants last October. Prior to the surgery Sanford had been diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s, and her symptoms were progressively getting worse. But after five months of continuous stimulation from the brain pacemaker her performance on cognitive tests have vastly improved. It’s still too early to know if the effects will last, but the doctors are hopeful."