US begins testing brain implants with hopes of slowing Alzheimer’s

Surgeons at the Johns Hopkins Hospital have successfully implanted a deep brain stimulation device with hopes to slow the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, one of the first operations of its kind for the United States. Similar to a pacemaker, the stimulation device includes a set of electrodes that sends impulses with the help of a battery that is placed under the skin — the obvious difference is that the electrodes are used to stimulate growth of the hippocampus, the portion of the ...