GAMMA WAVE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Clinical studies are in progress: 

completion dates in April and December of 2025. 

Until then, a Gamma Clarity Lamp can be purchased on Amazon ($149).  

CLICK here for GAMMA WAVE RECORDING SHEET

"A very safe and non-invasive approach to tackle Alzheimer's disease."

-- Dr. Li-Huei Tsai (MIT)

The MIT Gamma trial mentioned Gamma light for 60 minutes per day and the spread sheet link below will give you a place to record your minutes per day.

CLICK here for GAMMA WAVE RECORDING SHEET

The State of Alzheimer's Disease Research Science: Dr. Li-Huei Tsai at MIT

Out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology comes a neurological innovation that has the potential of treating and reversing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Bringing Gamma Back is a 24 minute RadioLab broadcast includes an interview of MIT Neuroscience Professor Dr. Li-Huei Tsai describing her breakthrough non-invasive Alzheimer’s treatment. 

Shortcut: Video #1

Click HERE to view a 12 minute video of Dr. Tsai presenting at the MIT Brain Mind Summit

The following 3 definitions will help make the most of Radiolab interview and MIT Brain Mind Summit Video #1:

1. Brain neurons conduct electro-chemical signals or nerve impulses that are the foundation of memory and learning, and make us unique in the ways we learn, think and act.

For more click HERE. This is an excellent introduction to Neurons.

2. Glia:  In addition to neurons, the brain is also made up of glial cells (neuroglia).  Different types of neuroglia provide brain neurons with
a. oxygen and nutrients.
b. Glial cells also support and insulate neurons in the brain, while destroying pathogens, and removing cellular debris.

3. Gamma waves.  Were you hooked up to an EEG (electro encephalograph) you'd be able to see your brain activity in the form of wave patterns as seem below.
Beta waves characterize your brain activity while awake.
Delta waves dominate deep dreamless sleep.

Figure 1

A decline in Gamma wave activity is correlated with the onset of Alzeheimer's Disease. One might ask: does impaired Gamma activity cause AZ? or does AZ cause a drop in Gamma wave activity?  Research is ramping up.

Now you're in an informed position to listen to:  Bringing Gamma Back interview of MIT Neuroscience Professor Dr. Li-Huei Tsai describing her breakthrough non-invasive Alzheimer’s treatment.  When you have an hour in your day, listen to this important broadcast ... take notes.  We’ll talk later.

Click HERE to LISTEN to: Bringing Gamma Back  

Now that you've heard Dr. Li-Huei Tsai, the following back round chapter will fill in the blanks.  Save your notes for the next time we get together, I'll go over them with you if you have any questions.

Figure 2

Recent studies show impaired glial cell activity in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease.  Glia are responsible for brain housekeeping.  (see 4 & 6 below)

Figure 3

Dr. Li-Huei Tsai's work shows that those off task glial cells can be stimulated and recruited back to their housekeeping work again using light and other sensory stimuli flickering at 40 cycles per second.

Remembering that glial cells are tasked with destroying pathogens and removing cellular debris (beta amyloid and tau molecules) that build up causing Alzheimer's Disease, it is possible to envision glial cell recruitment combating the effects of this disease.

Figure 4

Beta-amyloid and Tau accumulation on and between neurons in Alzheimer’s Disease

Figure 5

Tsai's research used in AZ treatment is particularly interesting since it is as non-invasive as lights flickering on a Christmas tree.


The MIT Clinical Trial is active/non recruiting.  
Click HERE for MIT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE CLINICAL TRIAL information and details.  
If you know of someone with AD, become familiar with MIT's Clinical Trials for future openings.

By The Numbers.  The human brain: 100 billion neurons*

How many glial cells?  The popular convention is that we have 10 times

as many glial cells as neurons.  But recent research points toward a 1:1 ratio. 

Ben Barres of Stanford University takes a different approach: that glia make up at least 80 percent of the cells in the human brain. 

This is important because glia also perform the vital housekeeping chores for the brain like sanitation workers picking up and disposing of the garbage.  Imagine when New York City Sanitation Workers went on strike, the garbage piled up to 6 feet on city streets and escalated into a health crisis. Click here for video.

In the human brain, this glial housekeeping duty disposes of products like beta amyloid and tau that contribute to Alzheimer’s.  

Source:       https://picower.mit.edu/about    annotations by Toby Manzanares

Key Point #1:  Different types of neuroglia provide brain neurons with
1. oxygen and 2. nutrients,
3. glial cells support and 4. insulate neurons in the brain, while
5. destroying pathogens,  and 6. removing cellular debris.

Key Point #2: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) develops when glial cells begin to fail in their neuro-protective functions (numbers 5 and 6 above).

Blausen.com staff (2014). "Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014". WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. 

*(Kandel et al., 2000; Ullian et al., 2001; Doetsch, 2003; Nishiyama et al.)

=================

There is a physical interaction between microglia and neuronal synapses, these glia may directly respond to neurons 66,  67
Electrical synapses (gap junctions) are also thought to exist between neurons and glia, as well as between glia.

68  Thus, neurons that are involved in sensory evoked gamma and are electrically coupled to glia may directly recruit glial activity. 

 https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/fulltext/S0166-2236(19)30202-4


SEE GAMMA WAVE  Wikipedia  (insert into blog right column for definitions)

ALSO RESEARCH CLINICAL TRIALS

Video #2 shows the importance of Glial cells and Astrocytes in the brain responsible for clearing waste products from brain activity and shows how their diminishing gamma wave function contributes to Alzheimers.... Click HERE for an excellent NIH video ... complete with a transcript.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/video-how-alzheimers-changes-brain?utm_source=ADvideo&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=rightrail

Combine the 100 billion neurons, and 100 billion glial cells ... you arrive at the Human Brain.  According to one neuroscientist, 80% of the brain's volume derives from glial cells.

Click HERE to continue to the next page.

Click HERE for more on Alzheimers from Tuft's University

The Height and Depth of Music and Dance

There remain long lasting neural tracks that endure as the human brain advances in age which respond to music and dance. Sensory and kinesthetic tracks laid in long ago remain hidden in our minds but can be easily triggered. Once they are they can be used to trigger other connections. Music, movement and dance are powerful tools in the care of the elderly.

Click HERE for the story.

So take music with you when you visit.  Research, find favorite dances, favorite music. Play it loud enough so the music can be felt.

The Human Brain: a view from 1862 by Emily Dickensen

Since Emily Dickensen's 1862 poem about the brain scientists have engineered new ways of viewing the human brain.

On a microscopic level, 80% of what can be seen below is made up of the brain's 100 billion glial cells. The brain's 100 billion neurons make up the other 20% of the contents of your cranium. I read once that "the brain is an oxygen hog." it takes up about 2% of the body's mass, but consumes 20% of all oxygen drawn into the lungs!  In fact the brain's way of insuring it's oxygen supply is the make you faint, which essentially eases the demand on your heart to pump blood all the way up to your brain. Once you faint, your brain is at the same level as your heart, an easier place to reach in a crisis.

When connected to an EEG (electroencephalograph) your brain's activity can be recorded in the form of wave patterns below.

One of those varied EEG patterns is gamma waves, see below.

When you touch the J key on your keyboard, your brain sends a signal to your right index finger. That signal is strong enough to cross the synapse to trigger the muscle fiber to carry out your desired movement. (See the direction of nerve impulse below).

In a more complex sequence, before you key in your password, a signal is sent to the part of your brain where that specific password is stored. From there other impulses are sent to the muscles in your hands to key in your password.






For as long as you're able to remember... the 100 billion glial cells in your brain, like the one below, have been working in synchrony (40 cycles per second) to keep your cranial neurons properly oxygenated and nourished while "cleaning house" at the same time.  Imagine your home if no one washed the dishes, took out the trash or flushed the toilet.  Thank you glial cells!