Home » News » Transcranial pulse stimulation: therapy for Alzheimer’s

Transcranial pulse stimulation: therapy for Alzheimer’s


For around six years, the team led by Prof. Dr. Roland Beisteiner researched the method at the University Clinic for Neurology. The medical technology manufacturer Storz Medical was also instrumental in the so-called transcranial pulse stimulation with ultrasound, or TPS for short.

, explains Head of Research Beisteiner in on the MedUni website, A major area of ​​application for this is said to be diseases of the nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s.

That happens with Alzheimer’s

The course of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis is characterized by the regression of more and more nerve cells. Depending on the findings, this manifests itself in symptoms such as memory loss, speech, sensation and vision disorders as well as muscle tremors. The diseases are not curable; The research is therefore continuously working on methods to alleviate the symptoms as best as possible and to keep a negative development in check.

Also interesting: As you can see in the eyes of Alzheimer’s earlier

TPS could replace invasive procedures

In this endeavor, the Viennese scientists want to take a big step forward. In fact, the mental functions of patients should even be improved in the long term. This was previously possible to a limited extent, for example with Parkinson’s disease, but was usually associated with complex measures. For example, the operative “insertion of stimulation electrodes in deep brain areas” (technical term deep brain stimulation, DBS for short) is mentioned. “A great hope is that TPS can also partially replace invasive procedures in the future,” says the current publication.

How does TPS work?

First of all, a kind of plan has to be drawn up by the brain of the patient to be treated so that the neurologist knows (and can follow it on the screen) which specific nerve cells are to be activated. At appropriate points, ultrasound pulses are set and membrane changes in the brain cells are triggered, with the result that memory is triggered again. “It’s like starting an old engine again. Those nerve cells that can still be activated then show significant improvements, ”explains Bersteiner. In a test period of two weeks with a total of six sessions of 60 minutes each, the method is said to have caused significant mental, physical and even mental positive changes in test subjects.

Justified hope for patients

MedUni Vienna speaks of a possible breakthrough. In the future, transcranial pulse stimulation should also be used to accompany other forms of therapy and support basic research in this medical field. However, the findings still have to be checked in further investigations.

– ,

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.