Focused Ultrasound Therapy
Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasonic energy precisely and accurately on targets deep in the brain without damaging the surrounding normal tissue.
How it Works
Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces several therapeutic effects without incisions or radiation. One mechanism is the temporary opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which may aid in the removal of beta amyloid from the brain. In addition, potentially promising drug and antibody therapies are often limited by their inability to cross the BBB in high enough concentrations to have an impact in the brain, and opening the BBB may enable these therapeutic agents (such as intravenous immunoglobulin [IVIG]or tropomyosin receptor kinase A [TrkA]) to gain access the brain. An additional mechanism is the ability to use neuromodulation to increase the activity of selected targets in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Promising preclinical studies continue to demonstrate the potential of focused ultrasound to enhance the delivery of therapeutic drugs or antibodies to the brain. Focused ultrasound in combination with microbubbles can safely open the BBB and enable enhanced delivery of anti-amyloid antibodies to the brain. Studies suggest that this method can reduce the number of plaques and improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease models. Furthermore, focused ultrasound and microbubbles alone (no antibodies) have had similar effects in two different Alzheimer’s models. There is also work looking at using genetic therapy, where adeno-associated virus (AAV) could be used to as a one-time treatment.
Potential advantages
- Focused ultrasound is noninvasive – no incisions, holes in the skull, electrodes in the brain – and therefore has reduced risk for infection and blood clots.
- Precise targeting minimizes damage to non-targeted healthy brain.
- Treatment can be a complement to drug therapy, enabling enhanced delivery of disease-modifying therapies into the brain via temporary opening of the blood-brain barrier.
This article is for informational purposes. Personal Senior Care Homes provides this to you for information. Please know we strive to provide the best care for our residents and urge you to look at all our homes have to offer for you or a loved one suffering from Alzheimer disease.
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