Tel Aviv University and Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center have set out to cure Alzheimer's disease by reversing the main activators of the disease, and their latest research – published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Aging on Thursday – attests to their efforts bearing fruit.
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By using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), researchers improved the cerebral blood flow in elderly patients by 16-23%, alleviating vascular dysfunction and amyloid burden, both crucial elements in the development of Alzheimer's and cognitive decline.
Each patient received 60 HBOT sessions over a 90-day period and showed substantial improvement in cognitive functions – with memory, attention and information processing speed exhibiting the strongest results.
The study – part of a comprehensive research program directed toward aging and accompanying ailments as a reversible disease – holds promise for a new strategic approach to the prevention of Alzheimer's by addressing not only the symptoms, but rather the core pathology and biology responsible for the advancement of the disease.
"By treating vascular dysfunction, we're mapping out the path toward Alzheimer's prevention," research group leader Professor Shai Efrati said. "More research is underway to further demonstrate how HBOT can improve cognitive function and become an influential tool in the imperative fight against the disease."
Efrati is a medical advisor at Aviv Scientific – leader in the research and treatment of age-related cognitive and functional decline – that has developed a unique medical treatment protocol that includes HBOT, cognitive and physical training, and nutritional coaching to enhance brain and body performance of aging adults at Aviv Clinics.
HBOT is already used in patients with other pathologies and is known to be a relatively safe treatment modality, illustrating its potential to be easily implemented in clinical practice.
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