Stimulating special waves produced in the brain with light and sound helped clear plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease in experimental mice. The research was published in the journal Nature.
In previous studies, scientists found that special flickering lights combined with sound stimulation could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in humans and mice. In the new study, they found that this happened by clearing the animals’ brains of a protein called beta-amyloid, which is associated with symptoms of dementia. It is important that the stimulation occurs at the brain’s gamma rhythm frequency (40 Hz).
The procedure led to an increase in the diameter of lymphatic vessels, increased pulsation of surrounding blood vessels and the removal of beta-amyloid from the animals’ brains. This appeared to be associated with increased activity of the aquaporin 4 (AQP4) water channel in neurons. AQP4 belongs to a group of proteins responsible for transporting water in and out of cells. Their role was confirmed by an experiment: When scientists blocked APQ4 with a special substance, gamma stimulation did not improve the clearance of the brains of mice. Scientists also showed that increased production of VIP peptide is responsible for the increased pulsation of blood vessels.
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Source: Gazeta
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