Bright idea provides new hope for Alzheimer's patients

Good results

The device was first tested on healthy individuals to confirm that it could induce the desired brain waves, and then in trials where people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease spent 30 minutes daily over a period of either six or 12 weeks in front of one of the new light devices or a placebo lamp. In the double-blind clinical trials, neither patients nor doctors knew what type of treatment the Alzheimer's patients were getting.

At the conclusion of both the short and long trials, doctors were able to detect an improvement in cognitive function—i.e. the ability to perform tests that indicate brain problems—among patients who used the newly developed light technology. Scans also revealed that the brains of those who received the active treatment in the longer trial showed signs of improvement.

“In the patients who were given the placebo lamp, that part of the brain deteriorated, while we actually saw a small increase in volume in those who used an active lamp,” Paul Michael Petersen says.

Many factors can affect the cognitive abilities of Alzheimer's patients.  OptoCeutics is therefore now conducting a much larger study to document the effect of using the device on patients. Stronger clinical evidence could pave the way for the devices which are already on the market, to be marketed and sold to more hospitals and clinics working with Alzheimer's disease.

Great potential

The professor is eagerly awaiting the results of the ongoing trial.

“If we can stimulate patients' brains so they avoid secondary diseases and see an improvement in their daily lives by reducing the consequences of losing their memory and not being able to orient themselves or speak, then that's huge!” he says.

In the long term, Paul Michael Petersen envisages that the idea behind the device could be further developed and become an alternative to ordinary light sources that people can use as a preventive measure in their homes:

“And perhaps it could be particularly relevant in retirement homes, where dementia is so prevalent.”

Inclusive innovation

The Danish-American partnership was established during DTU Professor Jes Broeng's stay at UC Berkeley in 2017, where the innovation expert established a connection between brain researchers there and light experts at DTU.

“Jes Broeng contacted me, and we quickly developed the idea together and decided to submit a joint patent application and quickly verify whether the idea was viable,” Paul Michael Petersen says.

The first electrical circuit using new LED technology, from which the light device originated, was developed that same year during a three-week course by Marcus Carstensen, who was a master’s student at the time. He has since helped to further develop the light device—initially in his master’s project and then as a PhD student at DTU Electro. Today, he is Chief Technology Officer at OptoCeutics.

"Marcus was an incredibly talented DTU student, and he quickly advanced the technology. In fact, this is a really good example of how DTU’s technical knowledge can be of benefit to society and why young engineers and students are so important and can make such a big difference,” Paul Michael Petersen says with a smile.