For the third time in four months, researchers have found a link in a conducted DBS which speculate better Alzheimer’s treatment…
Nevertheless, few patients did show memory improvements when the electrodes were first implanted. These were the same two who reported memory recollections. Similarly to a research with 350-pound patient, for whom DBS was used against obesity. Two of the 6 patients reported stimulation induced experiential phenomena. Patient 2 reported having a recollection of being in her kitchen few years ago… Patient 4 reported having the memory of fishing on a boat on a lake with his sons and catching a large green and white fish. On later questioning, these events were autobiographical. They had actually occurred in the past, and were accurately reported according to their relatives. Also, the stimulation caused brain activation, generally switching “on” the areas that are turned “off” in Alzheimer’s. This effect lasted for a year (the length of the study so far). And there were no major side-effects. All in all, these results are quite interesting, but we don’t know how well the treatment really works. And we won’t know until someone does a randomized controlled trial with a longer follow-up period.