5 ms·
How flashing lights and pink noise might banish Alzheimer’s and improve memory
- narrator 9y agoThere are a lot of technologies like this that are simply too cheap to be developed. The alternative health world will probably produce an implementation, but mainstream healthcare couldn't care less about something like this.
- bgroins 9y agoSorry but this is complete crap. I'm not sure if you read the article, but it states: "More than two dozen clinical trials are aiming to modulate brainwaves in some way — some with flickering lights or rhythmic sounds, but most through the direct application of electrical currents to the brain or scalp." Two dozen clinical trials which will hopefully lead to a breakthrough. This and countless other medical advances have come about through hard science and rigorous testing in the realm of traditional medicine, not "alternative health". Crystals and homeopathic magic water aren't going cure Alzheimer's.
- narrator 9y agoI wish I could set a reminder for 5 years out for this thread. From what I've seen, all the clinical trials in something like this will be abandoned for some reason or another.
- henrikeh 9y agoI’m personally directly involved in one such trial. I’ll be happy to send you a mail in 5 years (or next year) with updates.
- nothrabannosir 9y agoIf you use an electronic calendar, you can. I set multi year reminders a few times, and it does work. Computer don’t care. Most calendar systems support import/export in iCal , so you’ll be fine switching in the mean time.
- michaelcampbell 9y agoIf one of the reasons is, "it doesn't work", I'd call that a success, wouldn't you? Not everything is a money-driven conspiracy. (Though, not everything isn't, either.)
- WillReplyfFood 9y agoI wonder though, wether the pattern and the endresult couldnt be better done by a never tiring NN. Just give it a sensor stimuli, and let it optimice. (Sorry couldnt resist)
- smelendez 9y agoI don't know if I agree with that. Doctors recommend low tech health solutions pretty often: humidifiers, electric toothbrushes, Dr. Scholl's foot products, ear cleaning tools, hydrogen peroxide, Epsom salts... I'm pretty sure I've heard of pediatricians recommending nightlights and soothing sounds for kids. This doesn't seem so different.
- behindmyscreen 9y agoAlternative healthcare doesn't exist. If it works, it's just Healthcare....if it doesn't, it gets called "alternative"
- jonsen 9y agoAlternative logic.
- teslabox 9y agoWhat do you call healthcare that doesn't work, but is commonly used anyways? For example, Propublica's article says stents usually don't help improve patients' conditions: https://www.propublica.org/article/when-evidence-says-no-but-doctors-say-yes https://www.propublica.org/article/when-evidence-says-no-but... I like the term 'monopoly medicine', but maybe there's a better term.
- chrisan 9y agoThat would be a misuse of healthcare. Just because a developer has all of the tools available, doesn't mean they can build a solid working app.
- behindmyscreen 9y agoMedicine is an applied science and as with all applied sciences, new knowledge is hard to get into practice among the older crowd. So, while stent placement in specific cases did not improve the outcomes, getting practitioners comfortable with doing nothing takes time.
- dade_ 9y agoI find your comment ironic, considering the basis of the whole articles was very alternative: "Brainwaves were first noticed by German psychiatrist Hans Berger. In 1929, he published a paper describing the repeating waves of current he observed when he placed electrodes on people’s scalps. It was the world’s first electroencephalogram (EEG) recording — but nobody took much notice. Berger was a controversial figure who had spent much of his career trying to identify the physiological basis of psychic phenomena. It was only after his colleagues began to confirm the results several years later that Berger’s invention was recognized as a window into brain activity."
- lsc 9y agoA recent counterexample in my life: I recently was diagnosed with sleep apnea. It's a mechanical problem where my respiratory tract relaxes in such a way as to close off airflow while I'm sleeping. It's actually a big problem because either it wakes you up or the oxygen levels on your blood drop (or one and then the other.) and those things, aside from making you feel groggy the next day, cause all sorts of long term health issues. Weight gain, too... which is sad because being overweight is a huge contributing factor to apnea. (In fact, I've been working out a lot more since I started treatment. I just feel physically better and more physically able to push myself to work out.) The treatment my doctor recommended? Rig a glorified air compressor to blow air down my throat. It's really a beautifully simple and effective solution to what's fundamentally a mechanical problem with my body. I mean, I wanted something quiet and auto-adjusting with a lot of data logging, so I went out and got one of the more expensive glorified air compressors made by ResMed (which really is near silent- I'm not saying that the top-end ResMed machines are a good value for the dollar compared to the cheaper machines, but they really are quite nice, and totally worth it if your marginal dollars are cheap.) but the mechanism is super simple and I'm pretty sure I could rig one up (minus the auto-adjust) for like $30 of parts; it's just an air compressor lubricated with something that doesn't stink with a regulator. As far as I can tell, if you want a CPAP machine and are paying full freight, you can pay anywhere from $300 to $3000, which seems pretty cheap for the difference it makes. But, my point is that your doctor will totally prescribe simple mechanical solutions when they work.
- DrAwdeOccarim 9y agoJoin the club! If you're interested in the data aspect of this, I highly recommend the software package sleepyhead. It let's you see all the data from the machine in a great format. If you're able to convince your insurance to cover, I would also recommend getting a mandibular advancement device. I find that switching between the two every few weeks helps my AHI scores. Probably because each works in a different way and muscle memory seems to come into effect for each differently. The MAD works for me because I have epiglotis-derived SA, so you're milage may differ. I would also highly recommend getting an ENT consult. Knowing why I have SA was great because it helps me position my pillows to get the best results. This is also a really cool recent advancement but I'm not sold on it yet: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/01/fda-approves-first-of-a-kind-sleep-apnea-implant/8563821/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/01/fda-ap... If you want even more data, I use this: https://www.amazon.com/Contec-Wrist-worn-Oximeter-Software-Download/dp/B00LN4LCMC https://www.amazon.com/Contec-Wrist-worn-Oximeter-Software-D... You can overlay the pulse-ox data in sleepyhead with your CPAP data to get a fuller picture. I've also been looking into making my own EEG hairnet and computer logger but it's not trivial. Good luck!
- thegreatcosmo 9y agoDoes this suggest epilepsy is on the same neural circuit?
- neltnerb 9y agoEpilepsy is triggered by strobe lights in that frequency range, I think it is a coincidence. This is a really great writeup of this project, by the way. I've been paying attention and didn't know half of what they had done.
- amelius 9y agoVideogames can trigger epilepsy, so perhaps they can treat/prevent Alzheimer's.
- pmoriarty 9y agoRadiolab had a fascinating episode about this: https://www.radiolab.org/story/bringing-gamma-back/ https://www.radiolab.org/story/bringing-gamma-back/
- SubiculumCode 9y agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oD3hofS5NM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oD3hofS5NM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oD3hofS5NM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oD3hofS5NM for gamma tube
- hackinthebochs 9y agoYou posted the same link twice
- fossuser 9y agoSeems strange it was flashing light compared to mice in a dark box? Maybe visual stimulation of any kind is better than sitting in darkness. I’d imagine more brain activity is probably helpful in preventing dimentia?
- jopsen 9y agoCouldn't double the frequency? And get similar waves.. The idea that certain light frequencies can have an effect isn't crazy. I recently bought a cold soar treatment device that used some special light frequency. (Note: I have yet to test it, but it's FDA approved)
- manmal 9y agoInterestingly, Alzheimer’s is more prevalent in areas further from the equator. But, I‘ve seen an interview with a researcher who runs trials with LLLT (near infrared) helmets on Alzheimer‘s patients, and he said that pulsing at 40Hz gives an additional effect. At the time I thought this is BS, but now that frequency is mentioned in Nature..
- jopsen 9y agoMust say the prospects of fixing my grandmother with some flashing lights is appealing. At this point she mostly talks to her doll - as if people around are all strangers. Don't worry I'm not quite crazy enough to run human trials on unsuspecting relatives. Particularly, not when they are long past the ability to give consent. But I won't say it's not tempting to buy and EEG and start cooking...
- ddorian43 9y agoWhat's the worst that can happen ? what's her quality of life ?
- dsego 9y agoDoes she sleep a lot during the day? My father sleeps a lot and doesn't like to talk, but he remembers everything, even drives the car. We still don't know if it's depression or early dementia (could be frontotemporal).
- michaelcampbell 9y agoMy mother died to Alzheimer's, and my father to a stroke (which induced a dementia). I know how you feel, and empathize.
- Puts 9y agoMight be something in to this. My mind always feels refreshed by a good thunderstorm.
- amelius 9y agoPink noise is also used to treat tinnitus. People say it sounds like listening to waves at the beach. So perhaps a distant thunderstorm at the beach would be even better.
- pinchharmonic 9y agoCould this be related to electronic music shows, especially techno? Flashing lights and regular repetitive beats that act as a base to dance off of.