Toronto-CT scans are usually used to diagnose problems, not to treat them.

But Canadian scientists are using CT scans to test a provocative theory: Can low-dose radiation from scans really help treat Alzheimer’s disease?

The results of a small pilot study found that patients receiving repeated doses of low-dose radiation therapy showed improvements in cognition, speech, and movement, and some patients were able to share moments they could not share with their families for years.

Dr. Morris Freedman, head of the Department of Neurology at the Baycrest Rotman Institute and one of the researchers in the study, said that the concept sounded far-fetched to him at first.

He told CTV News: “The first reaction was’This doesn’t sound like a very effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.'” “But when I delved into the background of the recommendation, I thought it was worth doing A small pilot to see if there is any effect.”

In a clinical pilot study, researchers gave four elderly people with severe Alzheimer’s disease a six-week low-dose radiotherapy, which is considered the world’s first.

The amount of radiation in each dose does not exceed the amount of radiation that a person can receive in a clinical scan.

With just one dose, three of the four patients improved, and family-reported alertness, mobility, and mood improved. The fourth patient remained unchanged and was the oldest patient in the study, aged 90 years. Everyone else was in the 80s.

Among those who are making progress, one can speak with a granddaughter over the phone and remember her name, read the signs posted on the wall aloud, and clap and sing at the concert. Another patient described in the study had a detailed conversation with her family about her past.

The study said: “She cried several times. When asked if it was pain or upset, she replied: “No, I’m very happy. “

Freedman explained: “Improvement is in the interaction, in the recognition.” “A family member said that when the son walked into the room [before this treatment], The patient will not respond, nor will he admit that the person is there.

After the radiation, they did it. “

About 747,000 Canadians have Alzheimer’s disease Or another kind of dementia, a progressive brain disease that cannot be cured.

Since there is no cure, the focus of treatment is to restore certain functions to improve the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

however A large number of therapeutic drugs for this disease have failed.

Freedman noted that the patients they looked at in a study conducted in collaboration with Sunnybrook Health Sciences were experiencing “very severe” Alzheimer’s disease.

“They have advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Any improvement is meaningful, especially it can improve the understanding of family members, interaction, bring back memories, and bring back improvements in previous behaviors. These are all very important. “These things are very important. Friedman said. “It really reflects their quality of life. So I think it’s very important.”

Another person who made the results exciting was Tammy, whose 87-year-old father Allan participated in the study.

Tammy, who asked us not to use her last name, recorded a video of her father before and after the treatment, showing a sudden and significant improvement.

“I asked him to clap his hands,” Tammy said. “He reacts faster, yes and no.”

An important moment for her is to hear her father praise her more than he has spoken for a long time.

She said: “I can’t express it in words. This is indeed a miracle.” “He said,’You come to see me’. I didn’t listen to him. I can’t tell you how long it has been.”

The moment she was with her father was very important to her.

Tammy said: “Except for the day my child was born, this is indeed fair, just one of the best days I have ever had.”

The lead author of the Baycrest-Sunnybrook study, nuclear engineer Jerry Cuttler (Jerry Cuttler) said that despite animal studies and case reports, the condition of Alzheimer’s patients improved after CT scans, but many people Still skeptical. Alzheimer’s disease with radiation.

“Most doctors don’t believe this,” Cutler told CTV News. “They think it’s snake oil. It’s not accepted, it’s not mainstream medicine.”

The root of this controversy is that, according to the study itself, radiation is “generally accepted” as the cause of DNA mutations and increases the risk of cancer.

The radiation dose from a CT scan is very low-not dangerous to the patient-but researchers believe that it triggers the body to repair brain damage in some way.

Scientists say that the possible mechanisms involved have not yet been fully understood, which is why more research is needed.

Freedman said: “Low-dose radiation is very different from high-dose radiation.” “Low doses may actually stimulate the protective mechanisms of the brain-high doses may cause harm.”

For a long time, Cutler has been advocating for more research on the use of radiation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, medical professionals such as Freedman are discovering enough potential to be worthy of further research.

Friedman said: “If you asked me five years ago if I thought it would help Alzheimer’s disease, I might say, I don’t think so.”

“Here, I’m talking about our preliminary findings, and it looks like it may be a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.”

In Cuttler’s previous case study, A woman in her 80s experienced such improvement after receiving a CT scan. After receiving treatment in 2015, she can transfer from hospice care to long-term care in about a year.

The goal of this new pilot study is to see if these results can be replicated.

Cuttler explained in a press release: “Many neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, are believed to be partly caused by oxidative stress, which damages all cells including the brain. As we grow older, their effect diminishes. Each time radiation stimulates our natural protection system to work harder-produce more antioxidants, prevent oxidative damage, repair more DNA damage, and destroy more mutant cells .”

Because the scope and scale of this study are very limited, the researchers believe that more work needs to be done before we know exactly whether this strategy is feasible.

“I think we should conduct this research again with more people,” Friedman said. “We should have a [control] The group, where there is a real radiation therapy group, and where is there, really understand the effectiveness of this treatment. This will require funding. But this will be the next step.

Cuttler said: “The advantage of this is that the treatment is very fast and the results can be seen on the same day or the next day.” “Therefore, if we can organize and plan the treatment plan appropriately, we should be able to obtain meaningful scientific results.”

If funding and support can be found, this may be the beginning of a new way to treat patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.