Having dementia can be a terrifying prospect. Losing your memories and not being able to control what you say or do during that time is painful, not just for the person suffering from it but for their loved ones as well. Just watch The Notebook.
But there is still hope for people who have been suffering from dementia as scientists will be moving on to the first phase of human trials on a breakthrough ultrasound treatment that could reverse the effects of dementia.
The ultrasound treatment was first developed back in 2015 at the University of Queensland. The initial research was working to find a way to use ultrasound to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier with the goal of helping dementia-battling antibodies better reach their target in the brain.
However, early experiments with mice surprisingly revealed the targeted ultrasound waves worked to clear toxic amyloid protein plaques from the brain without any additional therapeutic drugs.
Learn more on New Atlas.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
