1. Deep Brain Stimulation For Alzheimer’s Disease Madison Moreau BME 281 November 14 th, 2012

2. What is Alzheimer’s Disease? Form of dementia  Loss of brain functions that gets worse over time Ex) Memory, thinking, and behavior Mild cognitive impairment due to aging No treatment  Approved drugs only delay the diseases progress

3. The Pineal Gland and Alzheimer’s Disease Circadian rhythm  Biological process that tells the body what time of day it is Pineal gland is used by the brain for this process  Secretes melatonin In AD the pineal gland stops secreting the proper amount of melatonin for the body to sense what time it is

4. How Deep Brain Stimulation Works for AD Electrode probe is placed on the pineal gland  Stimulates the gland to secrete melatonin The pacemaker is placed in the chest Programmed to stimulate the gland to secrete melatonin on a regular basis

5. Results Some patients take well to the deep brain stimulation while others do not Some patients see a decrease in cognitive abilities while others see an increase Not enough tests have been performed

6. Future Deep brain stimulation can stop AD from progressing and actually reverse the disease to a degree Restore the circadian rhythm Allow the pineal gland to secrete the proper amount of melatonin and on a regular, consistent basis

7. Works Cited "Alzheimer's Damage Reversed by Deep Brain Stimulation." - Health. N.p., 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.. Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. Alzheimer's Disease. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Nov. 0000. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.. "Circadian Rhythm." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.. "Deep Brain Stimulation May Hold Promise for Mild Alzheimer's Disease - 05/07/2012." Deep Brain Stimulation May Hold Promise for Mild Alzheimer's Disease - 05/07/2012. Johns Hopkins, 5 May 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012..

8. Questions?