Alzheimer’s treatment: deep brain stimulation in specific network alleviates symptoms.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a therapeutic technique that is already authorized in Germany to treat neurological movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and dystonia, as well as neuropsychiatric conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder. A team of researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have uncovered a brain network in Alzheimer’s patients that, when stimulated, can decrease their symptoms. This study, published in the journal Nature Communications, provides hope for further research in this area.
In DBS, thin electrodes are implanted in the patient’s brain and deliver constant, mild electrical pulses to a specific area. The electrodes remain in the brain permanently and are connected via wires that run under the skin to a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest area. The device is used to adjust the strength and frequency of the electrical stimulation.
The starting point for the current study was a random observation made within a Canadian study. “In one patient, who was being treated for obesity, deep brain stimulation caused flashbacks – sudden memories of their childhood and adolescence,” says Dr. Ana Sofía Ríos from the Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology at Campus Charité Mitte. This led the Canadian researchers to suspect that stimulating this brain region, which was located in the fornix, might also be suitable for treating Alzheimer’s.
To investigate this further, researchers working at seven international centers as part of a multicenter study implanted electrodes in the same area of the fornix in participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease. A handful of participants benefited considerably from the treatment. Prof. Horn’s research group used imaging data to determine the exact position of the electrodes in the patients that profited from the procedure.
“The optimal stimulation site seems to be the intersection of two fiber bundles – the fornix and stria terminalis – that connect regions deep in the brain. Both structures have been linked to memory function,” says Prof. Horn. Further clinical studies are needed before DBS can be approved and used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Going forward, the Horn laboratory will conduct further studies to investigate and define other neural networks in the brain that could be useful in treating dementia. Their work will include examining areas of brain lesions and identifying target regions for both DBS and other methods of neurostimulation. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a therapeutic technique that is already authorized in Germany to treat neurological movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and dystonia, as well as neuropsychiatric conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder. A team of researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have uncovered a brain network in Alzheimer’s patients that, when stimulated, can decrease their symptoms.
DBS involves thin electrodes being implanted in the patient’s brain and delivering constant, mild electrical pulses to a specific area. The electrodes remain in the brain permanently and are connected via wires that run under the skin to a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest area. The device is used to adjust the strength and frequency of the electrical stimulation.
The study began with a random observation made within a Canadian study. “In one patient, who was being treated for obesity, deep brain stimulation caused flashbacks – sudden memories of their childhood and adolescence,” says Dr. Ana Sofía Ríos from the Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology at Campus Charité Mitte. This led the Canadian researchers to suspect that stimulating this brain region, which was located in the fornix, might also be suitable for treating Alzheimer’s.
To investigate this further, researchers working at seven international centers as part of a multicenter study implanted electrodes in the same area of the fornix in participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease. A handful of participants benefited considerably from the treatment. Prof. Horn’s research group used imaging data to determine the exact position of the electrodes in the patients that profited from the procedure.
The optimal stimulation site seems to be the intersection of two fiber bundles – the fornix and stria terminalis – that connect regions deep in the brain. Both structures have been linked to memory function. Further clinical studies are needed before DBS can be approved and used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Going forward, the Horn laboratory will conduct further studies to investigate and define other neural networks in the brain that could be useful in treating dementia.
A team of researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered a brain network in Alzheimer’s patients that, when stimulated, can decrease their symptoms. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a therapeutic technique used to treat neurological movement disorders and neuropsychiatric conditions. It involves thin electrodes being implanted in the brain and delivering mild electrical pulses to a specific area.
The study began with a random observation made within a Canadian study. “In one patient, who was being treated for obesity, deep brain stimulation caused flashbacks – sudden memories of their childhood and adolescence,” says Dr. Ana Sofía Ríos from the Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology at Campus Charité Mitte. This led the Canadian researchers to suspect that stimulating this brain region, which was located in the fornix, might also be suitable for treating Alzheimer’s.
To investigate this further, researchers working at seven international centers as part of a multicenter study implanted electrodes in the same area of the fornix in participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease. A handful of participants benefited considerably from the treatment. Prof. Horn’s research group used imaging data to determine the exact position of the electrodes in the patients that profited from the procedure.
The optimal stimulation site seems to be the intersection of two fiber bundles – the fornix and stria terminalis – that connect regions deep in the brain. Both structures have been linked to memory function. Further clinical studies are needed before DBS can be approved and used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Going forward, the Horn laboratory will conduct further studies to investigate and define other neural networks in the brain that could be useful in treating dementia.
Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered a brain network in Alzheimer’s patients that, when stimulated, can decrease their symptoms. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a therapeutic technique used to treat neurological movement disorders and neuropsychiatric conditions. It involves thin electrodes being implanted in the brain and delivering mild electrical pulses to a specific area.
The study began with a random observation made within a Canadian study. “In one patient, who was being treated for obesity, deep brain stimulation caused flashbacks – sudden memories of their childhood and adolescence,” says Dr. Ana Sofía Ríos from the Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology at Campus Charité Mitte. This led the Canadian researchers to suspect that stimulating this brain region, which was located in the fornix, might also be suitable for treating Alzheimer’s.
To investigate this further, researchers working at seven international centers as part of a multicenter study implanted electrodes in the same area of the fornix in participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease. A handful of participants benefited considerably from the treatment. Prof. Horn’s research group used imaging data to determine the exact position of the electrodes in the patients that profited from the procedure.
The optimal stimulation site seems to be the intersection of two fiber bundles – the fornix and stria terminalis – that connect regions deep in the brain. Both structures have been linked to memory function. Further clinical studies are needed before DBS can be approved and used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Going forward, the Horn laboratory will conduct further studies to investigate and define other neural networks in the brain that could be useful in treating dementia.
Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have uncovered a brain network in Alzheimer’s patients that, when stimulated, can decrease their symptoms. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a therapeutic technique authorized in Germany to treat neurological movement disorders and neuropsychiatric conditions. It involves thin electrodes being implanted in the brain and delivering mild electrical pulses to a specific area.
The study began with a random observation made within a Canadian study. “In one patient, who was being treated for obesity, deep brain stimulation caused flashbacks – sudden memories of their childhood and adolescence,” says Dr. Ana Sofía Ríos from the Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology at Campus Charité Mitte. This led the Canadian researchers to suspect that stimulating this brain region, which was located in the fornix, might also be suitable for treating Alzheimer’s.
To investigate this further, researchers working at seven international centers as part of a multicenter study implanted electrodes in the same area of the fornix in participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease. A handful of participants benefited considerably from the treatment. Prof. Horn’s research group used imaging data to determine the exact position of the electrodes in the patients that profited from the procedure.
The optimal stimulation site seems to be the intersection of two fiber bundles – the fornix and stria terminalis – that connect regions deep in the brain. Both structures have been linked to memory function. Further clinical studies are needed before DBS can be approved and used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The Horn laboratory will conduct further studies to investigate and define other neural networks in the brain that could be useful in treating dementia. Their work will include examining areas of brain lesions and identifying target regions for both DBS and other methods of neurostimulation.
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