SUMMARY: UCLA researchers in the department of Neurosurgery have developed an implantable brain electrode system which can modulate the brain’s activity to improve sleep and consolidation of memory, several important activities in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.
BACKGROUND:
Sleep is universally understood to be beneficial to both physical as well as mental health. While we sleep the short-term memories that we accumulate during the day are consolidated into long term memories. High quality sleep is essential especially for patients suffering from memory associated diseases like Alzheimer’s. Common medication prescribed to those with Alzheimer’s targets acetylcholine which is believed to be important to memory. Unfortunately, these drugs have low efficacy in addition to adverse side effects, especially when taken on an empty stomach. Oral medications can also be difficult for those with memory diseases as they often forget to take or take excess of their medication. An alternative approach to medication would be to modulate the areas of the brain which are responsible for sleep and memory directly. A clinically effective approach to medication-resistant tumors has been deep brain stimulation, which has also been shown to have an unexpected side effect of improving sleep quality. While evidence suggests that an implanted electrode can be beneficial in reducing aberrant electrical activity in the brain, there has yet to be a deep brain stimulation system designed specifically for the improvement of sleep and memory consolidation.
INNOVATION: Researchers at UCLA have developed a closed-loop neuromodulatory system which uses an electrode in the hippocampus to synchronize a second electrode in the prefrontal white matter which stimulates slow and sharp wave ripples. Together these should improve sleep and stimulate memory consolidation while also decreasing aberrant electrical activity in the brain without the side effects of oral medication.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
ADVANTAGES:
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE: Fully conceived and reduced to practice