Helmet May Reverse Alzheimer's Symptoms

Beams Infrared Light Into Brain To Stimulate Cell Growth; May Start To Work In Weeks

(CBS)  British researchers are testing a helmet they say may be able to start to reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in weeks -- if patients wear it for ten minutes a day.

It aims low levels of infrared light at the wearer's brain, and researchers believe that may stimulate the growth of brain cells.

Dr. Gordon Dougal, director of medical research at medical research company Virulite, developed the helmet, which doesn't have a name yet. He says it may be on the market as soon as a year from now.

Tests at the University of Sunderland found that infra-red light can reverse memory loss in mice.

Human trails are set for this summer.

Dougal explained to Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen Monday that, "How we hope it's going to work is that the infrared light will be facing inside the helmet onto the actual person, onto their skin, onto their brain, and actually goes on the frontal part of the bones, so it goes onto the actual front part of the brain and the side of the brain. The side of the head and their skull are relatively thin, so the light will penetrate the skull and treat the underlying brain tissue. And the top of the head is also quite thin, and the light will penetrate the brain tissue at that point.

"These are the crucial parts of the brain where your personality, memory and cognitive function are carried out.

"The back part of the brain is more motor function and more associated with vision, which perhaps is not as affected by age-related memory loss than perhaps the front part of the brain."

Dougal says his stepfather has shown significant improvement since he began wearing the helmet several years ago "for possibly six minutes twice a day, and it took about a month for us to notice an improvement. ... He was remembering things better. He was being able to actually think better. He was able to articulate better. In effect, you know, he could drive himself around better. He could do almost everything better."

Dougal told CBS News his stepfather "went from someone who had trouble finding his keys to someone who could drive across the country in long trips. He is now 81 and deteriorating, but it gave him a good six or seven more years of competence."

[btopy]

I must admit, i agree with 'matter77', its very disturbing that you people out there who claim to be caring for people with alzheimer's disease could come out and reject this treatment!!!

its not just his stepfather that has benefited from the helmet, it also includes an 'American' who has had an amazing recovery!

Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean that you have to reject it!

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
or http://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachrichten/nachricht/2240413.html
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
or http://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachrichten/nachricht/2240413.html
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
or http://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachrichten/nachricht/2240413.html
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
or http://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachrichten/nachricht/2240413.html
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
or http://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachrichten/nachricht/2240413.html
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[librarianiow]

It seems that it also cures cold sores: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94627.php
miraculous! Now both my parents need one.

[rational_1]

It would stand to reason that the heat produced by the infrared treatment might result in a rise in brain/body temperature, which could raise blood pressure.
Posted by flreason at 06:21 PM : Jan 28, 2008

I doubt that''s a concern. The brain gets such a huge blood supply that it would dissipate the heat produced. The infrared idea is an interesting approach. I''ve never heard of this before and wonder about its mechanism of action.

[dharlander]

I have watched many of Father''s family (including now my father) suffer and die from Alzheimer''s. My father is in the moderate stage, and I will tell you this. If there was even the slightest chance that this might break up those plaques and even stop his disease where it is, what harm would it do to try it. His father, brother, and two sister have been afflicted by this disease, and there will probably be more (he is one of 12). And yes, I fear that is might be my or my siblings future as well. I hope this would work. Maybe there could be something that doesn''t come in the form of a pharaceutical.

[flreason]

Perhaps the title of the final paper will be "Of Mice and Men?" LOL.

[flreason]

"If you are 70, then you know what a stroke is (heat or otherwise)..."
Posted by ToolMangler

Your observations bring up an interesting question: would this treatment work for people with high blood pressure? It would stand to reason that the heat produced by the infrared treatment might result in a rise in brain/body temperature, which could raise blood pressure. It may be that the short duration of the treatment would minimize the risk. However, one wonders if a human trial of less than a year would be sufficient to accurately gauge the potential risks of long-term treatment.

[incog-nito]

This hat may well cure your Alzheimer''s, but then you won''t have any friends to speak of anyway.

[bobnjersey]

[Do you think if I just put a black plastic bag over my head and sit in the sun for 10 minutes a day it would work just as well? I''''m 70 and I need to know.][Posted by jonsid2 at 10:24 AM : Jan 28, 2008]

well ... it would at least place the alzheimers lower on your list of problems.

[toolmangler-2009]

Do you think if I just put a black plastic bag over my head and sit in the sun for 10 minutes a day it would work just as well? I''''m 70 and I need to know.
Posted by jonsid2 at 10:24 AM : Jan 28, 2008



If you are 70, then you know what a stroke is (heat or otherwise), I wouldn''t do that if I were you and we are close to the same age, (I just don''t want the girls to know.)

[satx-101]

"Human trails are set for this summer."
O good, now i kin lurn speling.

[geoduck90]

The citation for the mouse paper is likely this:
Michalikova S, Ennaceur A, van Rensburg R, Chazot PL.
Emotional responses and memory performance of middle-aged CD1 mice in a 3D maze: Effects of low infrared light. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2007 Sep 11; [Epub ahead of print]

I''m not surprised that Virulite anticipates quick marketing approval for their helmet device. In the US, you don''t have to prove that the infrared device does anything beneficial--you just have to prove that it emits infrared light and that it doesn''t harm anything. The only problem is if they start marketing the device as an Alzheimer''s therapy...then they will have a long road ahead.

[enriquecaliente]

Don''t let them fool you, it''s all about mind control. Once they''ve gotten everyone to think that it works. They''ll tell you that everyone should use it as a precaution against the disease. What you won''t know is that they''re re-programing your mind. Big brother at work.