First Medical Device To Treat Alzheimer's Is Up For Approval By the FDA (ieee.org)

the_newsbeagle writes: An FDA advisory committee met today to consider approving the NeuroAD device, which is supposed to help with the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The device uses a combination of brain stimulation and cognitive training tasks to strengthen the neural circuits involved in language, memory, and other components of cognition. The treatment requires patients to come to the clinic daily for 1-hour sessions. Regulators in Israel and Europe have already approved the device. The CEO of the company behind the device, Neuronix, says that they're not attempting to cure the underlying biological causes of Alzheimer's. "We're attempting to modify the course of the disease," he says. The cognitive improvements last for up to a year, after which they fade away.

Comments

Another possible treatment: clicks & flashes

[Swave An deBwoner]

This other potential treatment sounds interesting:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/health/alzheimers-memory.html

And it sounds like it may even be made available in a home setting.

Something better than nothing

[Leuf]

Delaying the need for going to nursing home and taking some of the strain off from the caregivers would certainly help. But we aren't that far in with the disease with my mom and at this point getting her to cooperate with that for an hour a day every day would not be remotely possible.

Re:Another possible treatment: clicks & flashe

[wyattstorch516]

There's a great business opportunity if I ever saw one. Open up discos catering to the elderly with Alzheimer's/Dementia.

What are the effects on people without Alzheimers?

[Crashmarik]

This sounds like something that could easily benefit everyone.

Re:Other treatment

[Anonymous Coward]

That's diabetes

Re:Other treatment

[GLMDesigns]

My father had alzheimers and consumed almost no sugar.

Never drank soda.
Preferred oranges, plums and grapes for dessert (as opposed to pie/cake)

The only sugar he would consume would be that which is found in potatoes and bread (which he made or got from a local Italian bakery)

My aunt is 90 and is sharp as a whip. She has sugar (in the form of jam) every morning. And has a piece of cake (which she baked) every night.

Oh, and both were extremely physically active (walking, gardening) throughout their lives.

Moral of the story - consuming sugar != alzheimers.