Current figures of 6.5 million Americans aged 65 or older with Alzheimer’s disease are set to almost double by 2050 according to the Alzheimer’s association.
The severity of this issue has already been recognised, Dr Robert Reinhart is working to create treatments to help those with brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
In a recent study, Reinhart and his research team displayed how their noninvasive treatment delivered through electrodes in a wearable cap can improve memory function in older adults.
Thus, bringing forward the possibilities of having more efficient memory loss treatments.
The study’s findings
Reinhart and his team delivered their noninvasive treatment which targets memory function through scalp electrodes.
They discovered that electrical brain stimulation for 20 minutes on four consecutive days can improve working memory and long-term memory in those 65 years or older for at least one month.
Low-frequency electrode activity was found to improve working memory on day three and day four and one month after intervention.
High-frequency improved long-term memory on days two-four and one month after intervention.
Reinhart claims that their findings demonstrate that the plasticity of the ageing brain can be “selectively and sustainably altered using these two treatments.”
Expanding on electrostimulation treatment for memory loss
In this study, the team used multiple consecutive days of stimulation for 20 minutes.
This caused long-lasting memory improvement that lasted one month.
Reinhart’s previous study with electrostimulation treatment only had effects that would last 50 minutes.
Another key difference from his last study, is that they developed two brain stimulation protocols.
One for selectively improving short-term memory via low-frequency parietal stimulation.
Another protocol was used for selectively improving long-term memory via high-frequency prefrontal stimulation.
Real world implications of the findings
As the older population is ever increasing, this leads to additional social, healthcare and economic costs.
Impairment in basic memory systems, which are essential for everyday life activities, is a factor which is greatly contributing to these rising costs.
During the ageing process, individuals will experience memory decline at different rates of severity.
A rapid decline in memory loss could help to predict Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Existing therapeutic approaches for impaired cognition are currently limited by varied treatment outcomes, slow improvements, as well as accompanying risks and side effects.
It is because of those reasons that there is an urgency to develop innovative therapeutic interventions that can provide rapid and sustainable improvements with side effects kept to a minimum.
Next steps
Reinhart highlights the importance of future research needed to determine whether the effects of electrical brain stimulation can last beyond one month and whether these specific methods can also enhance memory function in those with impaired cognition due to brain disorders and those who are at a dementia risk.
