Possible breakthrough in China in the fight against Alzheimer’s: symptoms reversed in a patient using ultrasound

For nearly a decade, the mother of neurosurgeon Sun Bomin lived with very advanced Alzheimer’s disease. In her nineties, the illness had erased her memory and her sense of time. Her son describes that period as one of complete silence and disconnection.

In 2024, Sun, director of the Functional Neurosurgery Center at Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, decided to operate on his own mother, though not with the goal of treating Alzheimer’s. The procedure was intended to relieve a physical dystonia that caused involuntary muscle contractions. However, after she underwent high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment, an unexpected effect occurred. Her cognitive abilities began to return.

Following the procedure, the patient once again recognized her family members, expressed emotions and needs, and was able to perform mental tasks such as simple calculations. These results prompted Sun to launch a clinical trial involving seven people. Two patients showed rapid improvement, while the remaining participants experienced an average recovery of 50 percent.

A technology without open surgery

The method used relies on a system that Sun himself calls a magnetic wave knife. It works by emitting multiple ultrasound waves from different angles that pass through the brain without causing damage. The waves converge at a specific point, where their combined energy makes it possible to act on tissue without opening the skull.

Despite the significant effects observed in some cases, the researchers remain cautious. Sun acknowledges that the precise changes occurring in the brain after treatment are still unknown. He also notes that in two patients with severe disease, the improvements gradually faded over time. Even so, the finding opens a potential new avenue of research for a disease that has long been considered incurable.

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