40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

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NF52
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by NF52 »

AerwykF wrote: Sat Apr 02, 2022 2:18 pm A pity this particular conversation died or went into hibernation. I spend an inordinate amount of time reading NIH records of almost anything to do with dementia....
The NIH library has erupted with light and audio technique studies. All that I have read has been quite positive. One thing though, don't try to use both simultaneously
unless you have a way to synchronize them. Trying to eyeball them doesn't work.

Sorry this is a bit of a ramble and stream of thought. I'm 84 and I'm tired in spite of the fact I don't look or act like it. Does anyone have anything they'd like to contribute to this discussion? Oh, in addition to the NIH, I spend a lot of time here.

Good health to all.....
Welcome, Aerwyk!

Thank you for posting and reminding us that just because studies are not in the media every day, or on this forum, does not mean that great work isn't being done to deepen and broaden our understanding of how to prevent, delay, slow down or even reverse cognitive impairments using multiple modalities. Like you, I spend both a lot of time here and a lot of time trying to stay at least somewhat familiar with studies--although I've learned that it's a lot easier to "cure" mice than people!

I thought I'd share a source I've found useful, in addition to the NIH and the National Institute on Aging (NIA):
describes itself as
a news website and information resource dedicated to helping researchers accelerate discovery and advance development of diagnostics and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

Our site expands the traditional mode of scientific communication by reporting the latest scientific findings and industry news with insightful analysis that puts breaking news into context.... Alzforum is a platform to disseminate the evolving knowledge around basic, translational, and clinical research in the field of AD.

Alzforum is supported by a team with backgrounds in science journalism, information technology, design, and data science. Together with a distinguished Scientific Advisory Board, and the active participation of a global network of scientists, we strive to produce unbiased content to a rigorous editorial standard.... Alzforum does not endorse any specific product or scientific approach.
I like their weekly newsletter, which often includes breaking research or discussion of current areas of controversy, with comments from leaders in the field.

And here's a 2021 compilation of nutrition advice for those with ApoE4 from a groups that includes Dr. Richard Isaacson, Director of Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. No one has the claim to perfect understanding, but as someone with two copies of ApoE 4 and a little more than a decade younger than you, I found the suggestions helpful and the explanations readable, especially the summaries on pp. 14-15: Precision Nutrition for Alzheimer’s Prevention in ApoE4 Carriers

If I can share a bit more, I've had the privilege of working with great researchers as a Consumer Reviewer of grants and as a member of a Clinical Trial Participant Advisory Board. One of the surprising and somewhat encouraging findings I hear consistently is that what we call "Alzheimer's" in those over age 80 is almost always "mixed dementia" in which the person may have some of the amyloid plaques and tau tangles of Alzheimer's, but also has some features of blood-brain barrier leakage and vascular disease. The reason this may be somewhat encouraging is that it also seems that these diseases progress more slowly and unevenly at this age--similar to how cancers sometimes appear indolent or slow-progressing at this age.

My own mother had at least one copy of ApoE4 and developed mild cognitive impairment in her late 70's, but progressed to only moderate dementia by the time she died of heart failure at age 86. She was able to live in her own home with support and maintained her lifelong sweet personality. Each journey with these disease is unique; what is not is the importance of care partners like you, who have to manage the sadness of losing a spouse in moments over years, not all at once. I also know that she would want you to reach out to friends, families and that doctor you trust for what you need to care for yourself also. You are brave to admit that you're tired--I hope you are also ready to find ways to re-charge yourself.
4/4 and still an optimist!
TLS
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by TLS »

A TED Talk by Li-Huei Tsai regarding Gama therapy just came out recently.

https://youtu.be/AS0K0XOMNwA

I thought it was interesting and encouraging.
apoe 3/4
jerryb
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by jerryb »

I had my wife enrolled in a small study using a vibroacoustic chair back produced by Sound Oasis company in Massachusetts, I believe. After a year, I returned the device to researcher and purchased one. They have programs built in but I feed in a 30 minute audio file stored on an ancient iPod touch. She has been doing this while we watch tv shows turning up the volume a bit so she can hear it over the 40Hz sound.
Can I definitely say it made a difference? No. But her attending Geriatric Psychiatrist and I felt that her decline was slower than we would have expected. In the past few months her decline has accelerated in terms of word finding and maintaining focus in particular. The chair back is expensive, close to $700 US, if my memory serves.
Had tried to enrol my wife in several studies here at the Toronto Memory Program but she always missed because of med change or scoring one point too low. At this stage I will not put her into any more clinical trials, having had bad effects from Bredesen protocol in 2018 and the disappointment of just missing the other trials.
NF52
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by NF52 »

jerryb wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 12:30 pm I had my wife enrolled in a small study using a vibroacoustic chair back produced by Sound Oasis company in Massachusetts, I believe. After a year, I returned the device to researcher and purchased one. They have programs built in but I feed in a 30 minute audio file stored on an ancient iPod touch. She has been doing this while we watch tv shows turning up the volume a bit so she can hear it over the 40Hz sound.
Can I definitely say it made a difference? No. But her attending Geriatric Psychiatrist and I felt that her decline was slower than we would have expected. In the past few months her decline has accelerated in terms of word finding and maintaining focus in particular. The chair back is expensive, close to $700 US, if my memory serves.
Had tried to enrol my wife in several studies here at the Toronto Memory Program but she always missed because of med change or scoring one point too low. At this stage I will not put her into any more clinical trials, having had bad effects from Bredesen protocol in 2018 and the disappointment of just missing the other trials.
Hi Jerry,

I recognized your user name but had to go back and re-read your 2020 "best of times; worst of times" post to remember just what a wonderful spouse you have been for 54 years, and especially for the last four years as your wife and you have navigated uncharted waters. It seems likely that the slower pace of change has been the result of one or maybe many good things: the chair, shared time and conversation, the great habits she had for the first 50 years of your marriage. Assuming she is about 82 now, my understanding is that ApoE4 is making much less difference in disease progression (that effect seems to peak from 65 to 75 in terms of amyloid and tau deposits).

Two years ago it seemed that she was quite aware of and frustrated by the changes in her skills and the need for your help. I hope that today she is able to see you as her rock of support and safety. Although I have been in clinical trials and see them as important for science, in your place I too would want to take a break from MRIs, PET scans and cognitive tests that could only frustrate her. I've seen some preliminary research on benefits of chair yoga and music therapy for people with mild to moderate dementia in terms of relaxation and engagement. If there are programs in Toronto, your wife may enjoy them--and you may get some much-needed respite.

Best wishes to both of you.
4/4 and still an optimist!
jerryb
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by jerryb »

Thanks, NF52, ( sounds like I am texting a robot) but if I didn’t do everything I could for the lovely lady who looked after me for 50 years, I would be a real cad wouldn’t I?
NF52
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by NF52 »

jerryb wrote: Fri May 06, 2022 5:44 pm Thanks, NF52, ( sounds like I am texting a robot) but if I didn’t do everything I could for the lovely lady who looked after me for 50 years, I would be a real cad wouldn’t I?
Jerry, I suspect you have "looked after" each other all these years and could teach a Master Class on how love can find joy in small moments (and good TV shows) even after 50 years.

And luckily, I'm not a robot--just a 70 year old 4/4 wife of another non-cad husband of 42 years!

Nancy
4/4 and still an optimist!
Greyhound
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by Greyhound »

TLS wrote: Sun May 01, 2022 5:28 am A TED Talk by Li-Huei Tsai regarding Gama therapy just came out recently.

https://youtu.be/AS0K0XOMNwA

I thought it was interesting and encouraging.
I believe the gamma waves referred to in the video is in the class that produces the NonRem sleep that is restorative and similarly cleans out the plaque accumulation in the brain. This would arrest the degeneration as claimed in the video. The NREM I believe comes late a night via many cycle times throughout the night so it still leaves questions as to how restorative the treatment could be. As many of these under development devices do not want to reveal too much for competitive reasons and to raise money for future development which makes it difficult to assess it possible usefulness.
here is more on the topic

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/780138

There is a device that claims to improve initiation of sleep but it does not claim NREM improvement. It may have some usefulness as it is endorsed by Mathew Walker PhD author of Why We Sleep but not quite there yet.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/somn ... 21_Perks#/
FBMBoomer
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by FBMBoomer »

leddriversm.jpg
My wife was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia a few years ago. I am a retired software and hardware designer. I read about this therapy and decided to try it on my wife. I knew that using some little light that she was supposed to stare into each day was not going to be convenient or often used. I designed a PCB that I fit into a blue project box that can drive two 10 amp loads. This allows me to light our living room, dining room, and kitchen with 40 hz light. It is the only light that can be used in these parts of our home. They are hooked to the light switches. This pcb/box also produces a line level 40 hz signal in phase with the lighting.

The problem with use has been solved. China makes custom PCBs at a ridiculously low price but high quality.

To have a lighting source that can be turned on and off at 40 hz required a special type of light. I use very dense LED strips from China that have each LED driven with a separate resistor. I use 1 meter strips. These strips draw 2.5 amps each when driven with a 40 hz signal. They draw 5 amps if turned on continuously. A room requires about 4 of these strips to be brightly lit. And I mean brightly. I take the signal for the lighting and run it through a filter composed of an inductor and capacitor tuned to 40 hz to make the audio waveform less annoying than a square wave.

She has been on this therapy for 2 years now. Within 4 days her tremors just stopped completely. I cannot tell if her short term memory is getting any better. I do know her cognition is improving. I built another one of these boxes and lighting strips for my former boss who developed Parkinson's disease. It stopped his tremors. Not much of a study, but for me it is really wonderful to save my wife from getting worse, and possibly better.

You can buy small LED light bulbs on ebay. This does not solve the problem. You cannot use multiples of these lights because they would be all out of phase. I wish I could pass on my design to others who could replicate this treatment to care for their loved ones. I am 80 years old and I do not want my design to die with me. I would gladly send the schematic and gerber files to anyone who wants them. Gerber files are for creating PCBs.
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abalboa
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by abalboa »

FBMBoomer wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:45 pm leddriversm.jpgMy wife was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia a few years ago. I am a retired software and hardware designer. I read about this therapy and decided to try it on my wife. I knew that using some little light that she was supposed to stare into each day was not going to be convenient or often used. I designed a PCB that I fit into a blue project box that can drive two 10 amp loads. This allows me to light our living room, dining room, and kitchen with 40 hz light. It is the only light that can be used in these parts of our home. They are hooked to the light switches. This pcb/box also produces a line level 40 hz signal in phase with the lighting.

The problem with use has been solved. China makes custom PCBs at a ridiculously low price but high quality.

To have a lighting source that can be turned on and off at 40 hz required a special type of light. I use very dense LED strips from China that have each LED driven with a separate resistor. I use 1 meter strips. These strips draw 2.5 amps each when driven with a 40 hz signal. They draw 5 amps if turned on continuously. A room requires about 4 of these strips to be brightly lit. And I mean brightly. I take the signal for the lighting and run it through a filter composed of an inductor and capacitor tuned to 40 hz to make the audio waveform less annoying than a square wave.

She has been on this therapy for 2 years now. Within 4 days her tremors just stopped completely. I cannot tell if her short term memory is getting any better. I do know her cognition is improving. I built another one of these boxes and lighting strips for my former boss who developed Parkinson's disease. It stopped his tremors. Not much of a study, but for me it is really wonderful to save my wife from getting worse, and possibly better.

You can buy small LED light bulbs on ebay. This does not solve the problem. You cannot use multiples of these lights because they would be all out of phase. I wish I could pass on my design to others who could replicate this treatment to care for their loved ones. I am 80 years old and I do not want my design to die with me. I would gladly send the schematic and gerber files to anyone who wants them. Gerber files are for creating PCBs.
Welcome FBMBoomer! Thank you for joining our site and posting in our forum. I commend you on your creativity in using your background to build this amazing machine to be able to help your wife. I am sure other members will find this valuable.

As a Support Team Intern, I can share several tools/resources to help you get the most out of your experience if you would like to explore the site in more detail. The Primer is a detailed and informative resource written by a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4. It includes information about the biochemistry of the ApoE4 gene and offers a variety of research-based prevention strategies.

Some helpful tips to navigate the site include the How-To Guide. It includes topics such as navigating the forum, private messaging, and searching. In searching the term gamma light I see a number of conversations you may be interested to review. One great tip is using the quote (") button when replying to a post. Using the button will automatically alert the member of your response.

If you are interested in learning more about other members check out Our Stories.

Again, I am so glad you joined our forum and shared this wonderful resource. I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Please feel free to reach out anytime.

Warmly,
Angie
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Jane S
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Re: 40 hz gamma light and sound therapy

Post by Jane S »

What a beautiful conversation! I'm really enjoying being part of this forum and learning so much. Thanks all who contribute to the wealth of info here.
-- Jane --
(daughter, granddaughter, and niece of people who lived with Alzheimer's)
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
ReCODE 2.0 Certified Health Coach
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