Magnets to aid Alzheimer's sufferers

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Magnets to aid Alzheimer's sufferersMagnets could be used to boost brain power and combat memory problems including Alzheimer's, a new study says.Researchers successfully used magnetic coils to promote the growth of new brain cells in mice, reports the Daily Telegraph.Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has already been used experimentally to treat patients with conditions including depression, schizophrenia and epilepsy.It can be used to stimulate areas of the brain that were previously inactive due to injury or neurodegenerative processes.How it works is unclear, however one theory is that it strengthens the synapses - the connections between brain cells.Dr Fortunato Battaglia at the City University of New York and colleagues gave mice TMS for five days and then analysed their brains for changes.They identified the strengthening of synapses and a proliferation of stem cells in a part of the brain in which they can later play an important role in memory and learning.Dr Battaglia told New Scientist magazine: "The effect on the stem cells is the most exciting finding."His team are now trying to confirm if TMS can be used to improve memory and learning in people with age-related memory decline such as Alzheimer's patients.http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2346715.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscoveryHome - News - Entertainment - Sport - Business 2007 Ananova Ltd Terms and conditions of use - Privacy policy - Corrections - Contact Ananova - About Ananova