Scientists have discovered that exposing mice with Alzheimer's disease to a 40Hz flickering light can significantly improve Alzheimer's symptoms.
The exact mechanism remains unclear, it seems that being exposed to an hour of a 40Hz flickering light can clear amyloid plaques in the brain.
D54D2 is a monoclonal antibody of β-amyloid and allows us to visualise the plaques in these 6-month-old 5XFAD mice. Clearance of amyloid plaques was achieved with both a 40Hz and 80Hz flicker, but was most pronounced at 40Hz.
So, how does a flicker light achieve this effect?
Gene expression.
A flicker light is able to alter the expression of genes that code for Aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) transporters. It seems that the clearance of amyloid plaques takes place through these cell membrane transporters. We already know from previous research that AQP-4, which is mostly a transporter of water molecules across the cell membrane, is also essential in clearing accumulated amyloid and tau aggregates from the brain. So, everything seems to check out really.
Sound too good to be true?
Here’s a map showing differentially expressed genes showing the genes that are overexpressed and underexpressed in different types of neuronal cells.
This also lines up with some really old research from 2006 where a 10Hz flicker was used in elderly human subjects and was found to improve memory.
Citations:
Murdock, M.H., Yang, CY., Sun, N. et al. Multisensory gamma stimulation promotes glymphatic clearance of amyloid. Nature 627, 149–156 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07132-6
Williams, J., Ramaswamy, D. & Oulhaj, A. 10 Hz flicker improves recognition memory in older people. BMC Neurosci 7, 21 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2202-7-21 #alzheimer #alzheimersresearch #flickering #science
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