A research group led by Professor Hiroaki Shimokawa of Tohoku University discovered that low-power pulsed ultrasound may suppress cognitive decline in a mouse model of Alzheimer-type dementia, and was the first in the world since June 2018. Initiate an exploratory doctor-led clinical trial in the clinical setting.
Alzheimer-type dementia is one of the typical pathological conditions of dementia, and even now that several symptom-improving drugs have been developed, no therapeutic method has been established as a fundamental solution.The development of treatments for dementia has become a major issue worldwide, along with the rapid increase in dementia patients with the development of a super-aging society.Under such circumstances, research has begun on "LIPUS treatment," which is considered to be a new generation of minimally invasive treatment, as a new treatment method for dementia.
The research group of Professor Shimokawa et al. Has previously reported the efficacy and safety of LIPUS treatment for ischemic heart disease at the animal experiment level.It was found from two models of dementia using mice that irradiation of the whole brain with this low-power pulsed ultrasonic wave may suppress progressive cognitive decline.In an animal model of Alzheimer's disease, the accumulation of amyloid β, one of the two major pathologies, was significantly reduced.In addition, this treatment method is an innovative approach using physical stimulation, and it is possible to obtain a sufficient therapeutic effect without being affected by the blood-brain barrier, which is difficult for drugs to pass through.
This study is an important study to find a new treatment method that can suppress the decline of cognitive function in Alzheimer-type dementia for which there is currently no curative treatment, and it is the first study in the world since June 2018. An exploratory physician-led clinical trial to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the clinical setting begins.
