A treatment proven to slow progression of Alzheimer’s

Reporter: Amy Oshier Writer: Jasmine Singletary
Published: Updated:
DBS Treatment
DBS treatment sending electrical impulses to targeted areas. (CREDIT: WINK News)

Deep Brain Stimulation treatment is sparking discussion that could slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer’s.

More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and by 2050, that number is projected to be 13 million.

One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s disease.

Although there is no cure researchers are hoping that electricity may help stop it at the earliest stages.

Dr. Gabriel De Erausquin, Ph.D., Neurologist/psychiatrist of UT Health San Antonio said, “By increasing the flow of information, in that track, we might improve the ability of a person to retain new information.”

Researchers are targeting the fornix, a part of the brain responsible for memory with deep brain stimulation, sending electrical impulses to targeted areas.

Dr. Alexander Papanastassiou, Neurosurgeon, UT Health San Antonio said, “The electrodes go down into the brain near the fornix. Then, you tunnel the wires underneath the skin, behind the ear and underneath the skin down by the neck, down to the chest wall. And then, we have a little battery pack there. It’s a lot like a pacemaker.”

Erausquin said the patient is awake, and he’s asking them questions.

A San Antonio woman in her 70s was one of the first in the world to receive DBS. On the operating table, she suddenly started talking about a long-lost memory.

“She was suddenly flattered by a memory of her sister and her playing on the beach,” Erausquin said.

During two years of stimulation, researchers proved DBS is safe for Alzheimer’s patients and the disease did not progress in most of the patients.

“24 months without worsening is quite good. It’s better than anything we have right now,” Erausquin said.

There are 27 sites worldwide testing DBS for treating Alzheimer’s patients and 18 are in the U.S.

The study doesn’t aim to reverse the disease progression, that’s why it’s important to do this treatment in the early stages.

DBS is currently used to treat patients with Parkinson’s, seizures, and depression.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.