Hope for Alzheimer’s: New Device Uses Light and Sound to Slow Cognitive Decline

Researchers at Cognito Therapeutics are exploring a new way to tackle Alzheimer’s disease without drugs. Instead of medication, they’ve developed a headset called Spectris to help combat memory loss.

In a recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, Cognito showed that their headset is safe and might even benefit Alzheimer’s patients. The device works by delivering flashing lights and sounds to stimulate certain brain waves called gamma waves.

Gamma waves are important for thinking and memory, but people with Alzheimer’s often have fewer of them. The Spectris device aims to boost these gamma waves, potentially slowing down the cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s patients.

The study involved 74 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s who used either the Spectris headset or a fake device for six months. Those who used the real headset showed a significant slowing in functional and cognitive decline compared to those who used the fake device.

The headset seems to work by strengthening connections in the brain, which can start to break down in Alzheimer’s. While wearing the device for just an hour a day, participants saw lasting changes in their brain activity.

Cognito’s approach is based on research from MIT, which found that stimulating mice with light and sound improved their memory and reduced levels of a protein linked to Alzheimer’s. Although the headset didn’t reduce this protein in human trials, it did show promising results in slowing down cognitive decline.

The next step for Cognito is a larger trial involving over 500 participants. If successful, the Spectris headset could offer a safe and convenient way to manage Alzheimer’s symptoms without the need for medication.