Title:Electromagnetic Field in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Literature Review of Recent Preclinical and Clinical Studies
VOLUME: 17 ISSUE: 11
Author(s):Reem H.M.A. Ahmad, Marc Fakhoury* and Nada Lawand*
Affiliation:Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut
Keywords:Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta, electromagnetic field, animal studies, human studies, neurons.
Abstract:Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive
loss of neurons leading to cognitive and memory decay. The main signs of AD include the irregular
extracellular accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein in the brain and the hyper-phosphorylation of
tau protein inside neurons. Changes in Aβ expression or aggregation are considered key factors in the
pathophysiology of sporadic and early-onset AD and correlate with the cognitive decline seen in patients
with AD. Despite decades of research, current approaches in the treatment of AD are only symptomatic
in nature and are not effective in slowing or reversing the course of the disease. Encouragingly,
recent evidence revealed that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) can delay the development of
AD and improve memory. This review paper discusses findings from in vitro and in vivo studies that
investigate the link between EMF and AD at the cellular and behavioural level, and highlights the
potential benefits of EMF as an innovative approach for the treatment of AD.
