Nina Schweigert

Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Deficits: A Comprehensive Review of Light Therapy and Electroacupuncture.

Started Feb. 28, 2024

Abstract or project description

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily affecting individuals over age 65. Patients suffer from cognitive decline and behavioral and physical deficits. These negative consequences result from the progressive accumulation of extracellular amyloid-beta plaques and intracellular tau tangles in the brain, leading to neuronal death, neurodegeneration, and death. Currently, there is no cure for AD and no definitive way to determine who will develop AD in the future. Pharmacological interventions have proved ineffective in treating AD, and current medications may only temporarily improve symptoms. However, there are noninvasive therapies that improve cognition and sleep quality in diseased patients. Light therapy, given at 40Hz, has shown an improvement in sleep efficiency and a decrease in daytime sleeping, one of the main, but usually ignored, symptoms of AD. Additionally, acupuncture, a Chinese method of healing, has been shown to improve cognitive impairment and hippocampal function. In this review, we will explore the benefits of light therapy and acupuncture in treating AD symptoms. Exploring these noninvasive methods of improving cognition and memory deficits in AD patients will help lead to more effective treatment strategies and an improvement in the life quality of the patients.