What is it about?

We first demonstrated in non-human primates that 40-Hz auditory stimulation significantly elevates β-amyloid levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of aged rhesus monkeys, and this effect lasts over five weeks. The study offers the first non-human primate experimental evidence for using 40-Hz stimulation as a non-invasive physical therapy for Alzheimer’s disease and reveals significant differences between primate and rodent models.

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Why is it important?

Although currently approved anti-Aβ monoclonal antibody therapies can slow early-stage AD progression, they are associated with significant risks, including cerebral edema and hemorrhage. In contrast, 40-Hz auditory stimulation is a non-invasive, low-cost physical intervention that demonstrates therapeutic promise, supporting its use as a complementary or alternative therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease.

Perspectives

The results were striking: key Alzheimer's-related protein levels in the monkeys' CSF more than doubled immediately after the treatment period, meaning more waste was being cleared out. Most remarkably, the effect persisted. When we measured five weeks after the sound treatment ended, the beneficial change had not faded. Such a sustained long - term effect has not been observed in any previous mouse model studies. This provides new and important experimental evidence further supporting the use of 40-Hz stimulation as a non - invasive therapy for AD and underscores the unique value of aged rhesus monkeys for AD translational research.

Wenchao Wang
Chinese Academy of Science

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This page is a summary of: Long-term effects of forty-hertz auditory stimulation as a treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: Insights from an aged monkey model study, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, January 2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2529565123.
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