A New Treatment for Alzheimer’s is Said to Restore Full Memory Function

According to an article on Science Alert, a group of researchers from Australia created a new, non-invasive method that uses ultrasound technology for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The new technique is said to dissolve amyloid plaques, which are thought to cause the disease. Experts believe those neurotoxic amyloid plaques are the culprit behind the symptoms of decreased cognitive function and memory loss that are associated with Alzheimer's. These plaques, which are made up of built-up protein clusters turned into an insoluble structure, interrupt the pathway of nutrients and other vital materials, thus causing decreased abilities such as recall and clear thinking, Science Alert reported.

Publishers of the research reportedly said that the new technique uses "a focused therapeutic ultrasound" that sends sound waves to deeper tissues of the brain, which stimulates brain's own "cleaner" cells called microglila. Then, those special cells remove the toxic beta-amyloid plaque particles from the brain.

Science Alert reported that 75 percent of the study subjects were able to achieve full memory restoration and improved cognitive performance. The study was done on lab mice and will soon be be done on animals like sheep. Human trials are expected to start in 2017. The study might be considered a "breakthrough," because it provides a treatment option without drugs and it also addresses the core of the problem.

Researchers have been trying to find an effective way to treat the disease but the current treatment can only delay the progress of the disease and it does not have the same effect on every individual. Along with the lack of promising treatment options, another problem is that there is no method, technique or vaccine to avoid the development of Alzheimer's, which affects hundreds of thousands in Australia where the study was conducted. There are more than 50 million affected individuals around the world.

The new treatment, if it worked, would make a big difference for so many people across the globe, as well as contributing the financial and emotional well-being of almost every nation.