Ultrasound therapy is emerging as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. It uses ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier, which can help with drug delivery and may also reduce plaques from building up in the brain.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting about 6.9 million Americans ages 65 and older. It can affect memory and thinking skills and also cause changes in behavior and personality.

There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease at this time. Current treatments aim to alleviate symptoms, slow their progression, and improve quality of life.

Ultrasound therapy is a type of treatment that could be used to help with Alzheimer’s in the future. Continue reading below to learn more about this emerging Alzheimer’s treatment.

When we think of an ultrasound, medical imaging typically comes to mind. From pregnancy sonograms to breast imaging, the high-energy sound waves generated by ultrasound can be used to create images of various tissues.

Ultrasound therapy can be used to treat a condition. It can have a couple of different effects on the body, including:

  • heating the target tissue to increase circulation and promote healing
  • creating bubbles that rapidly expand and collapse, a process called cavitation

The heating effect of ultrasound therapy can be useful in physical therapy to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and osteoarthritis.

Meanwhile, the cavitation effect may be used to manipulate tissues or substances in the body. One example is breaking up kidney stones.

Some research suggests that ultrasound therapy may help with Alzheimer’s. The type of ultrasound used for this is called focused ultrasound (FUS).

Researchers have found that FUS can be used to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is the membrane separating the brain from the bloodstream. While the BBB helps protect the brain from potentially harmful substances, it can also prevent drugs from entering.

FUS uses high intensity ultrasound waves targeting a specific brain area. The energy from the ultrasound creates microbubbles, which begin to expand and contract. This movement temporarily forces open the BBB.

Opening the BBB with FUS helps deliver Alzheimer’s treatment more easily into the brain. Studies suggest it may also enhance blood flow and boost nerve cell function.

Focused ultrasound with Alzheimer’s drugs

A 2024 clinical trial involving three participants combined FUS with the Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) over a 6-month period. Aducanumab is a medication that targets beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.

After 6 months, the researchers found that areas of the brain treated with FUS had lower levels of plaques than areas of the brain that didn’t receive FUS. This implies that FUS may help enhance treatment with certain Alzheimer’s drugs.

Focused ultrasound alone

Other research suggests that FUS alone may have a beneficial effect on beta-amyloid plaques.

For example, opening the BBB with FUS has been shown to reduce beta-amyloid plaques in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in memory, and in the frontal lobe, which is involved with thinking, memory, and personality.

Some studies also found that FUS may cause unwanted side effects, such as increasing your chance of a hemorrhage and sudden confusion.

Summary

FUS is a noninvasive method to open the BBB in people with Alzheimer’s. This can help with drug delivery, increase blood flow, and help break down beta-amyloid plaques.

However, this therapy is still in very early stages and studies into this technique have been small. More research is needed to help refine the FUS technique and to confirm its safety and effectiveness.

  • medications like cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists to help manage cognitive and behavioral symptoms
  • monoclonal antibody drugs to help slow disease progression in early Alzheimer’s
  • antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or antipsychotics to address symptoms like depression, anxiety, agitation, or hallucinations

It’s also important to create a safe and supportive environment for people with Alzheimer’s. This includes things like removing hazards around the home, labeling objects and cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms, and installing grab bars in the shower and tub.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. That means its symptoms will continue to get worse as time passes.

How quickly Alzheimer’s progresses can vary between individuals. Early diagnosis and treatment can help to manage symptoms, but it may slow progression.

According to a 2021 review, the average survival time after receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis was 5.8 years. However, some people with Alzheimer’s can live up to 20 years after their diagnosis.

Receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be overwhelming for both the person receiving the diagnosis and for their caregivers. The resources below can help you to find support options for Alzheimer’s:

Ultrasound therapy is an emerging therapy for Alzheimer’s. It can help deliver drugs to the brain and may also break down beta-amyloid plaques and improve blood flow.

While ultrasound therapy for Alzheimer’s is very promising, more research is needed to help refine the technique while ensuring its safety and effectiveness.

Current treatments for Alzheimer’s include medications to manage symptoms and slow progression. Home and environmental modifications can also help improve quality of life. Early diagnosis and treatment may also help slow Alzheimer’s progression.