Focused Ultrasound May Open Door to Alzheimer's Treatment

A study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America found focused ultrasound to be a safe and effective method for targeting and opening areas of the blood-brain barrier, potentially allowing for new Alzheimer's disease therapies, reports ScienceDaily . Animal studies demonstrated that low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) guided via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reversibly open this barrier for precisely targeted delivery of drug and stem cells. The investigators targeted LIFU to specific sites in the brain essential to memory in three senior-aged women with early-stage Alzheimer's and evidence of amyloid plaques. MRI confirmed after treatment that the blood-brain barrier opened within the target areas immediately following the procedure. Closure was observed at each target within 24 hours. The researchers suggest LIFU could help deliver therapeutic drugs into the brain to enhance their effectiveness.