A recent study by researchers from the University of Washington and the Brigham and Women's Hospital (Harvard Medical School) in the USA found that ksenon may become a promising medium in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Ksenon belongs to the six inert gases; its name comes from the Greek word meaning "strange." In medicine, it is used as an anesthetic for fifty years and recently for the treatment of brain injuries. It is also tested in clinical studies for various cases, including depression.
Research focused on the potential of using ksenon for the treatment of brain changes related to Alzheimer's disease. These changes, found in all brains of people with dementia, include beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles; also, patients with Alzheimer's lose connectivity between nerve cells known as synapses, which allow us to think, feel, move, and remember; experience is found to be the latest common feature, found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.
All the above-mentioned changes lead to the appearance of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as memory loss, confusion, and changes in behavior. The reasons for the development remain unknown, but one of the leading theories points to the accumulation of beta-amyloid stimulating subsequent changes.
