Helmet for Alzheimers
Researchers at the University of Sunderland and Durham University have developed a wonderfully whimsical looking "prototype cognitive helmet" that "bathes the brain with infra-red light and stimulates the growth of brain cells."
LinkIts creators believe it could reverse the symptoms of dementia - such as memory loss and anxiety - after only four weeks.
Dr Dougal claims that only ten minutes under the hat a day is enough to have an effect.
"Currently all you can do with dementia is to slow down the rate of decay - this new process will not only stop that rate of decay but partially reverse it," he said. Low level infra-red red is thought to stimulate the growth of cells of all types of tissue and encourage their repair. It is able to penetrate the skin and even get through the skull.
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An experimental helmet which scientists say could reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease within weeks of being used is to be tried out on patients.
This is right up there with that sea water spray post.
This helmet will work for sure if you take seawater spray while you use it.
Could they *possibly* make it look more like a prop from Back To the Future?
Good thing if it works though. Another promising treatment is here
The rat study is somewhat encouraging, and if it doesn't work, it's not like it's an insanely expensive drug. I say go for it.
An supreme irony; Pratchett's troll brain cooling helmet in reverse - I sincerely hope it might help Terry.
My [RELATIVE REDACTED] was diagnosed with Alzheimers just last week. I mentioned this to a friend.
"They have a shot for that now. It clears it right up," he commented somewhat sarcastically.
"I think that's called potassium chloride," I replied, immediately regretting my words.
Ha. This reminds me of the "memory helmet" that was showcased on an episode of the british spoof science/educational film seres called "Look Around You" The whole thing is pretty funny but if you want to specially see the memory helmet skip to 6:30 min mark
http://youtube.com/watch?v=diD2lr_BGcU
Who cares if it works? It would look great with a black corset and hip boots.
Complete and utter rubbish. Regrowth will not fix alzheimers! Alzheimers is an accumulation of plaques due to misfolded proteins. When folded one way, the protein is water soluble. When folded improperly it is not water soluble. As a result, they accumulate and cause havoc.
WackyVorlon,
Who are you?
some details
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?s=0ae181eb79d7e9d2348e4881338eb717&p=197023#post197023
>It is able to penetrate the skin and even get through the skull.
Bullshit.
pray enlighten me, does infrared frequency electromagnetic radiation not pass through hair skin and bone?
We don't call bullshit based on information, Tak-kun. We call bullshit based on desire to move up in the pack. You know that.
It makes perfect sense to me.
If somebody wears a helmet that makes them look REALLY crazy, then--when that person turns out to be only slightly demented--they seem normal.
Changing the context is absolutely brilliant, if you ask me.
have a care sir, else I fling my feces at you. While hooting yet.
You better videotape it and post it on YouTube if you do. You do know that I was responding to the person to whom you were responding, not to you. Eh?
huh? oh yeah, no worries mate,
cheerio
these guys are obviously selling something.
I came to post essentially what Takuan did in #5. Good on you! And I too hope that Pratchett, and all other Alzheimer's sufferers, find an effective therapy/cure. It's a terrible thing to see someone go through.
I'm genuinely a bit perplexed by the "penetrate the skin" thing... I doubt they mean that it just heats up the skin and then the heat radiates through to the skull and then to brain. Because they wouldn't need IR to do that effectively. Wouldn't certain frequencies of IR potentially have real penetrative power through skin/bone? It just wouldn't be IR frequencies we're most familiar with in daily life, like remote controls.
I'm sorry, but it sounds like bullshit to me, for several reasons:
a)Generally speaking, the main thing infra-red radiance does is heat up the area, which will tend to accelerate cell metabolic processes and thus the creation of plaques(which are one of the big culprits implicated in Alzheimer's)
b)As far as anybody can determine, excepting some very narrow and specific areas of the brain neurons are impossible to replace, and since the problems in Alzheimer's come from accelerated death of neurons...
c)Plaques are a form of prion, and thus very resistant to any method of dissolution- whether by heat, acid or whatever, and they tend to cause the misfolding of other proteins into similar prions.
All in all- I won't hold my breath, although this is one instance in which I very much wish to be wrong.
Looks exactly like the brain-booster reward helmet in Sims II. If you leave the thing on all day, it drives your Sim insane. BEWARE!!1!