Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease Using Gamma Entrainment
Massachusetts General Hospital
Summary
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by significant memory loss, toxic protein deposits (amyloid and tau) in the brain, and changes in the gamma frequency band on EEG. Gamma waves are important for memory, and in patients with AD, there are fewer gamma waves in the brain. The Tsai lab found that boosting gamma waves in AD mouse models using light and sound stimulation at 40Hz not only reduced amyloid and tau in the brain, but also improved memory. A light and sound device was developed for humans that stimulates the brain at 40Hz that can be used safely at home. The goal of this study is to see if using this device can prevent dementia in people who are at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
Description
The investigators are recruiting participants aged 55+ with normal memory who have or had a close family member with Alzheimer's disease. 200 participants will undergo a blood test and a subset will undergo an amyloid PET scan and only 50 participants who have cerebral amyloid deposits will continue in the study. Neither the participant nor the investigators will know whether the participant is receiving sham or active stimulation. Participants will use the device for 12 months at home, for 60 minutes each day when they are awake. Participants will come to the Massachusetts General Hospital in…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 55–90 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Between 55 - 90 years of age, inclusive. 2. Immediate family history of Alzheimer's disease. 3. Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score of 27 or greater at baseline or expected score range for cognitively normal adjusted for education level. 4. Clinical Dementia Rating Global Score of 0 at baseline. 5. Delayed Recall score on the Logical Memory IIa subtest of 8 to 15 at baseline or expected score range for cognitively normal adjusted for education level. 6. Low serum amyloid levels at baseline. 7. Elevated fibrillar amyloid using 11C PiB PET at baseline between 20 - 70 CL.…
Interventions
- DeviceGENUS
Participants will use the GENUS light and sound device at home for 60 minutes daily for 12 months
Locations (2)
- Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts