Could Light And Sound Therapy Treat Alzheimer’s?

Exposing mice to a specific frequency of light and sound decreases Alzheimer’s biomarkers and symptoms. Now it’s being tested on humans.

A new potential Alzheimer’s therapy uses 40-hertz frequencies of light and sound to stimulate the brain. Research applying this treatment to mice showed a substantial decrease in amyloid plaques, a key biomarker for the disease, and an improvement in cognitive function. Clinical trials testing the efficacy of this method in humans are underway.

But how exactly does this treatment work? Could it be a game changer in Alzheimer’s patients? And what potential does it have for other degenerative diseases, like multiple sclerosis?

Ira talks with Dr. Li-Huei Tsai, professor of neuroscience and director of Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about her work developing this therapy.

Transcript for this segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

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