Our body is ‘electric’ in some ways. The heart rhythms are developed through an electrochemical process, as are all the interactions of the nerves in the brain and nervous system. For this reason, pacemakers have been used to correct slow heart rhythms or used to stimulate areas in the brain to improve Parkinson’s tremor (Barrow’s pioneered this.)
Now a small pilot study is being conducted at Johns Hopkins Hospital to see if electrical stimulation, implanted deep in the brain’s memory centers, can stimulate and protect memory in Alzheimer patients. Although a ‘pilot study’, if useful, this is a fairly simple method for helping with early Alzheimer’s disease. Data should be forthcoming in 1 year.