A new method of treating Alzheimer’s disease using low doses of radiation vastly improved the behavioural and cognitive abilities of patients almost overnight, according to a Toronto pilot study., found that modest amounts of radiation may help maximize the body’s ability to protect and repair itself by prompting the production of vital antioxidants.
“We want to optimize their well being and restore communication with family and friends to avoid social isolation, loneliness and under-stimulation. Although the study was a small pilot and should be interpreted with caution, our results suggest that low-dose radiation therapy may successfully achieve this.”
The study, which involved just four patients and no placebo group, built on the case report of a patient suffering from the symptoms of severe of Alzheimer’s disease in 2015. The woman received several doses of radiation to her brain that improved her movement, speech, appetite and cognition to the point where she was able to be transferred from hospice to long-term care.
While high doses of radiation can be devastating to the human body, low doses — such as the levels produced by a typical CT scan — appear to be beneficial in certain circumstances. “Numerous neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, are thought to be caused in part by oxidative stress that damages all cells, including those in the brain,” said Jerry Cuttler, lead author of the study and a retired Atomic Energy of Canada scientist.