Bimodal AvDesk stimulation for early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease
A study10 conducted by MIT neuroscientists demonstrated that bimodal stimulation in Alzheimer’s-affected mice significantly reduced amyloid plaques in the brain, promoting the recovery of cognitive and memory functions
Amid the vast vulnerability that comes with aging, the increase in global life expectancy has been accompanied by a rise in dementia-related disorders, which primarily affect older adults.
These are mostly progressive diseases that impair cognitive and behavioral abilities and severely interfere with daily life activities
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide1.
Scientific findings on Bimodal Stimulation
The study10 conducted by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) neuroscientists, led by Prof. Li-Huei Tsai, demonstrated that bimodal stimulation in Alzheimer’s-affected mice:
- significantly reduced amyloid plaques in the brain (so-called senile plaques, the main microscopic hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease)
- improved cognitive and memory functions.
Linari Medical, long a pioneer in cutting-edge fields and a promoter of personal well-being, has, based on the evidence from this research, initiated a collaboration with leading National Centers for the monitoring and management of cognitive decline.
Hospitals and Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) approach AvDesk as a tool for the objective assessment of cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Developed in collaboration with IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris (Italy), AvDesk is a telemedicine device consisting of a circular stimulation panel that covers 180° of the patient’s visual field.
Through the stimulation panel, a series of visual and auditory stimuli are delivered, programmed in sequences and temporal frequencies determined by a personalized therapy tailored to the individual’s needs.
In patients unable to perceive stimuli from certain areas of the visual field, a personalized rehabilitative program leads to the reacquisition of stimulus perception in the blind area and an increased response speed across the entire visual field.
In just 2 hours of treatment, there is a 30% increase in response abilities to stimuli across the entire visual field.
The Linari Medical Cloud platform allows physicians or therapists to create personalized treatment protocols by setting parameters tailored to the patient’s needs.
Specifically, the therapy can be customized by defining:
- LED light color
- Sound frequency and volume
- Position of auditory and visual stimuli
- Spatially and temporally coincident or non-coincident auditory and visual stimuli
- Duration of LED and sound presentation
- Interval between stimuli
- Intermittence frequency of sound and light
- Randomized protocols (by setting occurrence percentages) or sequential protocols
AvDesk to slow cognitive decline
In Italy, Alzheimer’s diagnosis currently relies on a series of clinical examinations, neuroimaging investigations, and neuropsychological assessments, followed by referral to over 2,800 affiliated public or private facilities: Day Centers (DCs), Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs), and in particular Cognitive and Dementia Centers (CDCDs), which serve as the primary care hubs responsible for the final diagnosis.
In addition to serving as a rehabilitation tool to help preserve patients’ remaining abilities, AvDesk represents a valuable assessment instrument. Currently, there are no tools capable of objectively evaluating the progression of cognitive decline.
AvDesk serves as a valuable tool to slow cognitive decline in patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, thanks to the ability to personalize rehabilitation programs by creating treatment protocols tailored to the patient’s characteristics. It allows for programs focused on memory training as well as specific exercises designed to enhance the patient’s decision-making abilities, requiring attention to tasks assigned by the therapist
AvDesk’s Artificial Intelligence system guides and monitors the patient throughout the entire therapy process, up to the daily generation of progress charts.
Pressing the button to indicate stimulus detection also engages executive functions, a set of interconnected cognitive abilities that allow us to control and self-regulate our behavior.
For example, in memory-focused therapies, protocols often include “recipes” where the same light sequence is presented multiple times, followed by a disruptive element such as a light of a different color (a false positive) to which the patient should not respond.
From that point on, the patient will no longer rely solely on memory but will need to stay focused to correctly complete the task.
With assessment tests performed through the device, patients’ responses are objectively evaluated over defined time intervals. The Linari Medical Cloud platform provides detailed, easy-to-read charts that allow for comparison of the patient’s performance.
Alzheimer’s: Over 600,000 Cases in Italy
Worldwide, data from the WHO Global Action Plan 2017–2025 indicate that dementia will affect 75 million people by 2030, with approximately 10 million new cases each year (one every 3 seconds5).
In Italy, 1,100,000 people suffer from dementia, with over 600,000 estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease2. There are approximately 65,000 new cases each year, representing 50% of all dementia cases3.
In Italy, in 2020, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease caused 37,768 deaths, nearly 4,000 more than the five-year average. This increase is linked to the effects of the pandemic, but it continues a trend that was already underway before the spread of COVID-194.
The disease does not only affect older adults; cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s have also been reported in individuals aged 30 to 60.
The prevalence of this condition increases with age and is higher in women, who, compared to men, have a greater likelihood (68.9%) of progressing to severe clinical and pathological disease. In women, the decline in estrogen levels observed during menopause affects memory and may accelerate synaptic loss and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease6.
The 7 stages of Alzheimer’s and life expectancy
Alzheimer’s disease is a highly complex form of dementia with unknown causes, characterized by a degenerative process affecting brain cells.
Reaching an Alzheimer’s diagnosis involves a rather complex process, typically lasting around six months.
According to one of the scales used to assess cognitive status (the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, or extended CDR), the progression occurs in 7 stages, with a variable CDR score assigned by a physician7:
- Absent: no memory loss or occasional forgetfulness (CDR 0)
- Very Mild: slight forgetfulness and partial recall of events (CDR 0.5)
- Mild: moderate memory loss, more pronounced for recent events, interfering with daily activities, work, and social life (CDR 1)
- Moderate: severe memory loss; the patient requires assistance with dressing, hygiene, and personal care (CDR 2)
- Severe: severe memory loss; unable to leave the house (CDR 3)
- Very Severe: severe language or comprehension deficits, difficulty recognizing family members, inability to walk independently, problems with self-feeding, and loss of bowel or bladder control (CDR 4)
- Terminal: patient is bedridden and requires total assistance, completely unable to communicate, in a vegetative state, and incontinent (CDR 5).
Although the rate of progression varies from case to case, the average life expectancy after diagnosis is between 3 and 9 years, with only 3% of individuals surviving more than 15 years8.
Alzheimer’s Treatment
Currently, Alzheimer’s disease is not curable, but there are medications that can improve certain symptoms during the prodromal phase of the disease.
Support from caregivers and family members is essential. Worldwide, around 3 million people are involved in caring for loved ones, using non-pharmacological occupational therapies (such as pet therapy and music therapy) to slow disease progression as much as possible. Attention to lifestyle can also reduce risk factors, such as obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
In Italy, in 2015, care for Alzheimer’s patients cost €38 billion, with 73% borne by families.
The average societal cost per patient was €70,587 per year9.
In 2023, on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day (September 21), the conference “Cognitive Decline and Dementias: The Duty to Open New Pathways” was held in Rome, where the intention was announced to propose refinancing of the Alzheimer’s and Dementias Fund for the 2024–2026 three-year period, to increase its resources, and to update the National Dementia Plan (PND).
In Italy, increasing resources are being allocated to research aimed at slowing the progression of the disease and to studies designed to enable early diagnosis.
Thanks to its flexibility and ease of use, AvDesk allows hospitals and nursing homes to immediately adopt a valuable tool for the cognitive assessment and training of patients with Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages.