Khaberni - A team of Chinese scientists has discovered that a simple, non-surgical sound treatment can produce significant and long-lasting biological changes in aging monkeys, potentially opening new avenues for a physical treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
The results of the study, led by researchers from the Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, were published in the latest issue of the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," according to China's New Agency (Xinhua) today, Thursday.
The study focused on the use of a 40 Hz auditory tone, which is a low tone within the range of human hearing.
While prior studies on mice had suggested that stimulation at 40 Hz could help remove toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease from the brain, this new study provides the first decisive evidence during a study conducted on non-human primates.
In Alzheimer's disease, a protein known as beta-amyloid tends to accumulate in the form of plaques, leading to brain cell damage and impairing memory and cognitive abilities.
The brain normally disposes of this waste through cerebrospinal fluid.
The research team worked on nine aging rhesus monkeys, whose brains naturally develop plaques similar to those associated with Alzheimer's disease, making them highly relevant models for human case studies.
The monkeys listened to a 40 Hz tone for one hour a day over the course of a week.
The results were astonishing, as the levels of key proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease in the cerebrospinal fluid of the monkeys more than doubled immediately after the treatment period, indicating an enhanced waste removal process.
Hu Xin Tian, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, said, "It is noteworthy that this effect persists. When measured five weeks after the end of the sound therapy, the benefit had not diminished."
Hu explained that currently approved drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease, despite being effective for some patients, can involve risks, such as brain swelling, in addition to being costly, whereas auditory stimulation at 40 Hz represents a safe, low-cost physical intervention.
He added, "The long-term effect we observed in the primates supports the development of this gentle approach as a future treatment for Alzheimer's disease."
