Innovative Headset Harnesses Light and Sound to Combat Alzheimer’s

A Drug-Free Approach to Combating Alzheimer’s Disease

Cognito Therapeutics’ Innovative Headset

While pharmaceutical companies are finally making ⁣progress in ⁣developing drugs​ to slow the⁣ progression of ⁤Alzheimer’s, startup Cognito ​Therapeutics is taking a different approach. The ⁤Cambridge, Massachusetts-based ⁢company has developed a headset ‍that aims ‍to combat cognitive decline‌ without the use of medication.

Promising Results from Phase II Trial

In a‍ Phase⁤ II trial published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, Cognito Therapeutics ‌reported that their novel treatment is safe and ​showed early indications of potential benefits for Alzheimer’s patients. Murali Doraiswamy, an ⁢Alzheimer’s expert from ‍Duke University who is not involved with Cognito, expressed cautious optimism about‌ the results:

“I think it’s extremely promising. It’s preliminary, so there’s a lot ⁤of reason for​ cautious⁤ optimism. But if it works, it would be ⁣totally different from anything else we​ have in the⁢ field.”

Stimulating Gamma Waves in the ​Brain

The Spectris headset delivers flashing ‌lights and sounds through connected glasses and headphones to stimulate gamma waves in ‍the ‍brain.​ Gamma waves are fast-frequency brain waves ⁢associated ‌with ⁢thinking ​skills and memory, and‌ people with Alzheimer’s typically have fewer of ⁣these waves. By producing light⁢ and sound at 40​ hertz, the device activates the brain’s visual and auditory​ pathways,‍ generating gamma waves and ‍potentially ⁤strengthening and synchronizing neural connections.

Study Results ⁣and Implications

The Cognito Therapeutics study included 74 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s who ⁢received either the Spectris stimulation or a placebo device. Compared ⁤to the placebo group, those‍ who received ‌the‍ Cognito ⁤stimulation showed:

• 77% slowing in functional decline
• 76%​ slowing in cognitive difficulties
• 69% reduction in brain atrophy

Ralph Kern, Cognito’s chief medical ​officer,⁣ likens ‍using the device to ‌getting regular⁢ physical exercise for the brain. While users must remain stationary and awake during the one-hour ‌daily sessions, 85% of participants were able to​ use the ‌device consistently.

The Science Behind the ​Approach

Cognito’s approach is ⁣based on research by MIT neuroscientists Li-Huei⁣ Tsai and Ed Boyden, who cofounded⁢ the company.‌ Their previous work with mice showed that 40-hertz light and sound stimulation improved memory task performance and⁢ reduced levels of amyloid, a ‌protein that ⁤forms plaques in‌ the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. A new paper in the journal Nature suggests that the stimulation may activate a⁤ waste-disposal mechanism in the brain.

Next Steps ​and Potential for Complementary ⁤Treatment

Cognito Therapeutics is now‍ beginning ⁤a larger ‌Phase III trial with more than ‌500 participants who will wear the device daily for 12 ⁤months. Christopher ‍Weber from the Alzheimer’s Association emphasizes the need ​for more extensive studies with ‍diverse cohorts⁤ to fully understand the relationship between gamma ​wave activity ‍and Alzheimer’s.

Kern sees potential⁣ for⁤ the Spectris ​headset to be used as⁢ a standalone therapy or in combination with new Alzheimer’s drugs that target​ amyloid, such as ⁢Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi and Eli Lilly’s donanemab. These antibody treatments ‌offer hope‌ but come​ with risks, such​ as temporary brain swelling or ​bleeding. In contrast, ‍Cognito’s treatment did not cause these ‌adverse events​ or other serious side effects in the ‌Phase II trial.

As Doraiswamy states, “We need safe treatments. We need treatments ​that can be‍ administered at home, and we need ⁣treatments‌ that are‌ really complementary to​ what we already‍ have. This meets all of those criteria. All we need ​is a consistent positive​ signal in the big trial.