If you think you might lose your mind soon, consider trading in your tin-foil hat for an infrared beaming helmet that may help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.
An experimental helmet which scientists say could reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease within weeks of being used is to be tried out on patients.
The strange-looking headgear – which has to be worn for ten minutes every day – bathes the brain with infra-red light and stimulates the growth of brain cells.
Its creators believe it could reverse the symptoms of dementia – such as memory loss and anxiety – after only four weeks.
Alzheimer’s disease charities last night described the treatment as “potentially life- changing” – but stressed that the research was still at the very early stages.
The helmet is the creation of Dr Gordon Dougal, a director of Virulite, a medical research company based in County Durham.
It follows a study at the University of Sunderland which found infra-red light can reverse memory loss in mice.
Dr Dougal claims that only ten minutes under the hat a day is enough to have an effect.
“Currently all you can do with dementia is to slow down the rate of decay – this new process will not only stop that rate of decay but partially reverse it,” he said.
Low level infra-red red is thought to stimulate the growth of cells of all types of tissue and encourage their repair. It is able to penetrate the skin and even get through the skull.
“The implications of this research at Sunderland are enormous – so much so that in the future we could be able to affect and change the rate at which our bodies age,” he said.
Infrared Helmet to Stave Off Alzheimer’s, medgadget.com article, Jan. 2008