(TPS Brainwell✚)
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 55 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2021, with this number projected to rise to 78 million by 2030 and over 139 million by 2050, largely due to the aging global population.
In Thailand, the Department of Medical Services reports that approximately 800,000 to 1,000,000 people are living with dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause. The number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to increase in line with the country’s aging population. By 2022, it was estimated that 20% of the Thai population would be over 60 years old, significantly increasing the number of Alzheimer’s cases in the future.
Why do people develop Alzheimer’s disease?
Main causes of Alzheimer’s disease
- Genetics
- Familial Alzheimer’s Disease (FAD): Rare genetic mutations in genes like APP (Amyloid Precursor Protein), PSEN1, and PSEN2 lead to the early accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain, significantly raising the risk of Alzheimer’s.
- APOE gene: The APOE-ε4 allele is a risk gene that increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 2-3 times for individuals who carry it.
- Age
Age is the most significant risk factor. Those over the age of 65 are more prone to developing Alzheimer’s. - Health factors
- Cardiovascular diseases: Risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and lack of exercise increase Alzheimer’s risk.
- Head injuries: Severe past head trauma can also increase the chances of developing the disease.
- Chronic stress and sleep problems: Insufficient sleep and chronic stress are recognized as additional risk factors.
Changing risk factors
In the past, Alzheimer’s was primarily linked to genetics and aging. However, behavioral and environmental factors, such as unhealthy lifestyles, lack of exercise, and poorly managed chronic health conditions, are increasingly contributing to the disease’s development.
Today, preventive strategies focus on managing these health factors by controlling weight, maintaining healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and promoting better sleep.
Impact of Alzheimer’s on families and associated costs
When a family member has Alzheimer’s disease, the emotional, caregiving, and financial impacts extend beyond the patient to affect the entire family.
1. Emotional impact
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can result in stress, anxiety, and grief. Watching a family member lose cognitive abilities is deeply emotional, often leading to caregiver burnout (mental and physical exhaustion). Caregivers are also at higher risk for depression and chronic stress.
2. Daily life adjustments
Family members often need to adjust their personal schedules to accommodate caregiving responsibilities, which can interfere with work, social activities, and self-care. These disruptions may lead to conflicts within the family, especially between siblings or spouses.
3. Financial and economic impact
The cost of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is substantial, including medical expenses, long-term care, home modifications, and transportation to hospitals. In Thailand, the estimated monthly cost for bedridden Alzheimer’s patients ranges from 30,000 to 100,000 THB. Additionally, if family members reduce their work hours or leave jobs to provide care, household income decreases while expenses rise.
4. Lack of social support
Caregivers often lack sufficient social support, either from close networks or from formal caregiving services, which further strains their physical and emotional well-being.
Treatment and rehabilitation approach for Alzheimer’s
In the past, treatments for Alzheimer’s disease primarily aimed to manage symptoms rather than cure the disease. Commonly used were cholinesterase inhibitors, which helped increase levels of acetylcholine (a chemical crucial for communication between brain cells). These drugs temporarily alleviate symptoms such as memory loss and confusion, though they could not stop the brain’s degeneration.
Cognitive rehabilitation, including mental exercises like puzzles, reading, and conversation, was also used to stimulate brain function. While these activities could slow the decline in thinking and memory, they were not enough to restore brain function.
Today, let’s break through the limits of Advanced Brain Stimulation for Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients with TPS (Transcranial Pulse Stimulation ), the latest non-invasive technology!
(TPS Brainwell✚)
1. What is TPS for Advanced Brain Stimulation?
Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) is an innovative technology that utilizes low intensity shockwaves to stimulate the brain for the treatment and rehabilitation of Alzheimer’s disease. This technique offers significant advantages over traditional methods, particularly in alleviating symptoms and enhancing brain function. These waves stimulate the repair processes of damaged brain cells and increase blood flow to the targeted areas of the brain. This technology represents a new hope for the restoration of brain function in Alzheimer’s patients.
2. Advantages of TPS compared to traditional methods
- Stimulates brain repair: TPS enhances the connection and repair of brain cells, slowing the progression of brain deterioration in Alzheimer’s patients.
- Improves brain function: Studies have shown that TPS can enhance brain function, particularly in areas related to memory and cognition, thereby improving patients’ quality of life.
- Safe and non-invasive: TPS does not cause wounds or severe side effects, making it suitable for long-term treatment.
- Targeted stimulation: TPS can direct pulses deep into critical brain regions, such as the hippocampus, which is directly involved in memory regulation.
- Promotes brain recovery: TPS helps in the formation of new blood vessels in the brain after three months of treatment and enhances brain recovery capabilities (neuroplasticity), enabling the creation of new neural networks.
- Enhances quality of life: Research indicates that patients treated with TPS show improvements in memory, attention, and language use, leading to better daily functioning.
3. Clinical Outcomes (TPS Brainwell✚)
TPS has demonstrated positive effects on memory and cognitive abilities, potentially slowing brain deterioration more effectively than medications or traditional treatments. Patients typically start to see results after 1-3 months of treatment, with benefits lasting up to 6-12 months. Ongoing research aims to further improve the efficacy of TPS as a treatment modality.
4. What conditions can TPS help rehabilitate?
TPS is used to improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease, showing clear benefits in memory enhancement. Recent research suggests that TPS may also help with memory issues, brain fatigue, brain fog from long COVID, autism, learning difficulties, and depression. Ongoing studies are continuing to explore and publish new findings.
5. Are there any side effects of TPS?
Possible side effects include forehead tightness or headache, which typically resolves within 4-6 hours, increased hunger or food intake, drowsiness or changes in sleep patterns, depending on individual responses.
6. How long does TPS stimulation take?
For standard TPS procedures, stimulation lasts 30-60 minutes, with 6 sessions over a 2-week period. Patients do not need to shave their heads; a gel is applied to the scalp, and MRI neuronavigation is used to guide the stimulation. Real-time color feedback is provided to ensure precise targeting of the brain.
Why (TPS Brainwell✚) at Brainwell Medical?
Brainwell Medical is a pioneer in introducing Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) technology to Thailand. In 2022, our medical team discovered this advanced technique at the World Neurology Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. We subsequently supported its academic promotion in Thailand, leading to approval from the Thai FDA in 2023. The first TPS machine in Thailand was officially installed at Brainwell Medical Bangkok in 2024. (TPS Brainwell✚)
Our medical team collaborates with global experts as an official treatment center to develop knowledge and therapeutic methods for conditions such as depression, memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, learning disabilities and speech disorders.
Additionally, we incorporate other biomarkers (e.g., qEEG, LORETA) to enhance the precision of stimulation.
Here with the recommendations, precautions, and contraindications for TPS
Patients with the following conditions should avoid or consult specialists before undergoing TPS:
- Paralysis within the last 3 weeks
- Cerebral aneurysms (brain aneurysms)
- Brain cancer or tumors
- Uncontrolled seizures (epilepsy)
- Active brain hemorrhage
- Metal implants or electronic devices in the head
- Active infections, head injuries, or recent trauma
- Severe agitation or psychosis
- Blood clotting disorders (e.g., hemophilia)
- High-dose anticoagulant therapy (blood thinners)
- Cerebral thrombosis (blood clots in the brain)
- Recent corticosteroid therapy (within the last 6 weeks)
However, patients with the above conditions may still be eligible for TPS but require careful evaluation by a TPS Brainwell✚ specialist.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2020). “Dementia.” WHO Fact Sheets.
- Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). (2018). “World Alzheimer Report 2018.”
- Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. (2021). “Dementia in Thailand: The Silent Threat.”
- Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI). (2021). “Research on Aging and Dementia in Thailand.”