Cognitive Deterioration

Electrical activity in the brain known as "gamma" brainwaves help connect and process information throughout the brain. These gamma waves are diminished in Alzheimer's disease. New research in Alzheimer's disease mouse models shows that exposure to light flickering at the rate of 40 flashes per second or 40Hz increased gamma brainwaves and led to clearing of beta amyloid plaques in the brain, a key abnormality in Alzheimer's disease. This project will test the ability of a novel iPad App (AlzLife https://www.alz.life/) that delivers light therapy at 40 Hz combined with cognitive therapy to improve cognition, function, and quality of life in Alzheimer's disease.

Over the last decade, awareness of the effects of hydrocarbon fuels on neurodegenerative disorders has increased significantly, as they are ubiquitous environmentally toxic chemicals that affect the central nervous system and result in irreversible neuronal damage, as many hydrocarbons can cross the blood-brain barrier through multiple pathways and cause direct toxicity.