Researchers could treat neurodegenerative diseasesDiseases such as Alzheimer's diseaseand revolutionize brain injuries through new, non-invasive methods. They have developed an innovative brain stimulation technique that can also be used for Parkinson's and epilepsy. In addition, the results of this research can have a major impact on the therapeutic approaches of doctors and their patients.
Promising therapeutic approach uses non-invasive technology
When someone suffers a brain injury, nerve injury, or neurodegeneration, damage to the brain occurs. This can accordingly lead to the loss of nerves or neurons and the development of hyperexcitability. Such conditions underlie some neurological disorders such as neuropathic pain and epilepsy. Conventional treatment of Alzheimer's and dementia consists primarily of attempting to directly inhibit such hyperexcitability. However, the study authors found that the initial damage to the brain or nervous system was caused by a loss of brain tissue. Therefore, the research team tried to stimulate brain activity instead of suppressing it. The recently developed technique uses a new type of magnetoelectronics in the form of nanoparticles.
The scientists delivered these nanoparticles to a specific part of the brain using a magnetic field. This creates a magnetic wave with which they stimulate neural activity in that specific part of the brain. So this is a non-invasive method that is novel, different from what has already been donedescribed deep brain stimulationenabled. It is more efficient than conventional therapies without the need for genetic manipulation. The authorsthis studyhave been working on the technique for five years and hope to begin researching the method on humans in the next few years.
