3 January 2018
Can listening to a low hum destroy Alzheimer’s brain plaques?
Flickering light, low sounds and vibrating pads are all being tried out in people with Alzheimer’s after promising research in mice
Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library
LISTENING to low-pitched noise seems to induce high-speed brainwaves that break down protein plaques in the brain linked with Alzheimer’s. The approach has had promising results in mice and is now being tested in people with the condition.
Brainwaves are the result of large networks of brain cells firing rhythmically and in synchrony. Much about their function is unclear, but measuring these waves via electrodes on the scalp tells us that their frequency tends to reflect how awake and alert we feel.
Brainwaves are slowest during deep sleep, and faster when we’re awake and relaxed. The fastest brainwaves are called gamma waves, and they cycle at around 40 times a second, or 40 hertz, when we are concentrating, making decisions and using our memory.
People with Alzheimer’s disease often produce fewer gamma waves, prompting researchers to experiment with ways of inducing this type of