September 5, 2011

The Clinic of Neurosurgery, University of Cologne group of doctors examined the method of electrical stimulation in the treatment of Alzheimer , Which currently poorly to drug treatment. The other day the head of the experiment Volker Sturm said first encouraging results. "Year of electrostimulation was not in vain. The patient complained of a loss of attention and memory, difficulty with orientation in space, and now feels much better "- proudly concluded the professor.

The first attempts to electrostimulation

Cologne doctors first decide on such a difficult experiment. With the help of a low-frequency voltage, they decided to step up basal nucleus of Meynert A portion of which is responsible for the musculoskeletal system and thinking of what was to stop disease progression. One of doctors has already been a similar attempt to treat Alzheimer's disease, but it was only a similarity in the use of electrical stimulation. The experiment was conducted at the University of Toronto, while the main emphasis in the area of ​​the brain responsible for memory, it adjusted the electrodes, but such therapy Canadian neurosurgeon Andres Lozano has not led to significant positive results.

Big hopes

Sturm did not conceal from his patients, and says that although the new method is quite promising, but the absolute guarantee can not be given yet. In addition electrostimulation can help is not all patients, this is due primarily to the degree of the disease: from the earliest stages of the destruction of parts of the brain begins.

At this point in the study involved six people, and the overall results will be announced after the completion of the experiment.

According to preliminary estimates, the cost of this therapy will be 30-40 thousand. Euro. Despite such a large sum of money, the patients in the case of a positive outcome to be able to save significant money on medicines and care.

Patients with genetic indicators of doctors plan to treat first, because the disease begins to show them at an earlier age. These patients account for only 1% of the total number of people with Alzheimer's disease.

In general, the forecasts of doctors on the "Alzheimer's" disappointing. In 2006 patients with the disease were 26, 6 million., Then in 2050 their number could rise fourfold, which means a radical method of treatment, the study of which, of course, will take time, it is necessary to think now.

Doctors treating Alzheimer's disease, there is someone to learn

Deep brain stimulation of the various departments for the treatment of various diseases has been held for more than 10 years. For implantation in the hemisphere special electrodes require craniotomy and a small device that is placed under the skin slightly below the collarbone. Continuous pulses sent by this device in the brain to stimulate damaged areas or optionally inhibit their activity. This method has long been used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease And today about 40,000 patients go with implanted electrodes.