Age-related decline in working memory can be reversed using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to synchronize rhythmic brain circuits, new research suggests...(emphasis on the word "suggests")
Investigators at the Center for Systems Neuroscience at Boston University made two discoveries.
#1, in older adults, deficits in working memory stem from specific brain circuits becoming uncoupled or disconnected. #2, applying extremely weak electrical current in a very specific way can reconnect, or resynchronize, those faulty brain circuits and rapidly boost working memory function.
Dr. Reinhart also noted that problems with working memory and functional connectivity are hallmarks of neurologic disorders such as Parkinson disease, schizophrenia, and autism and that noninvasive stimulation could prove helpful for patients with these disorders.
The critical question with this procedure is whether or not it would work as successfully with "repetitive" stimulation.
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sharoncrayn
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I’ve been using a Vielight for over a year. I’ve reduced my amino acids (Hienes protocal) by 2/3rds over the last 6 months or so. I’m not sure I can give the light full credit as I started on B1 this year also but have reduced that by 1/2 w my last reduction in doses. My neighbor uses one for his wife’s stroke recovery. At a Parkinson’s expo last weekend I found out there a study being done at the Univ. of Florida . Guess it’s just starting however. It’s starting to be looked at so it depends if you want to be on the cutting edge or wait n see? I decided I may not have time to wait n see? It seems to have the potential of actually being a cure but they “can’t” say that. Best of luck!
I lay in an infrared 'cocoon' , sort of like an infrared sauna... it is a good muscle relaxant and detoxifier. I like it, not sure it makes a huge difference, but will continue with it and see...(I have done about 4 visits so far, 1x/week 30 mins)- it can't hurt!
tACS is distinctly different than the technology used by Vielight. One interesting thing about Vielight is that they do have a 80% refund policy for up to six months of use. Given their top 3 devices range from $2,400 to $1,800, it is a reasonable refund. Amazon is selling imitations, so buy direct.
With Vielight, think of their photobiomodulation headset as bombarding your mitochondria with photons resulting in increased energy (supposedly).
Their new prototype Neuro RX Gamma device (not sold yet by Vielight) will be the device used in their ALZ clinical trial (not yet recruiting!).
Mr. Burr's (Australia) infrared helmet uses the same technology as Vielight, which is photobiomodulation (he uses 810 and 670 nanometer lights) switching from one wavelength to the other,...he uses his device for 20-30 minutes twice per day. Please Note: these wavelengths differ from those in other devices offered by various LED companies. However, Burr is using the paper by Dr. Metrofanis as his basis for 670 nanometers.
The most commonly used red infrared wavelengths are 660 and 880. I don't understand why these differ from Barr's choices. They are close to his, but certainly not the same.
660 nm lights are cheap because they and mass-produced for use as grow lights for indoor plants. I don't know about 880 nm, but 850 nm are cheap because they are used with infrared security cameras.
Good question. In this review article on possible mechanisms, a number of molecules that could be absorbing light and effecting changes do so at different frequencies:
Their absorption spectra are represented as graphs with peaks, and the slopes are not that steep, e.g., cytochrome c - which seems to have a peak much closer to 610 nm than 670 nm when complexed with cytochrome c oxidase:
The longer the wavelength, the deeper the penetration into tissue. 810 nm is thought to be necessary for penetration into deep brain regions, but there is speculation that shorter wavelengths may cause changes in circulating cytokines which could act systemically:
Presumably the clinical trials being run on patients have already had some sort of phase I dose ranging study, so at least some safety testing has been done on the protocols used. If a device has been FDA approved for sale in the US, then there should have also been some safety testing.
I've been using a cheap combination 660/850 on my feet. I was trying it for plantar fasciitis and peripheral neuropathy. I only used it on one foot, the one with the plantar fasciitis. According to the article on dosing, I probably OD'd. I did not notice any improvement in the two conditions using the light (though I did get improvement using other interventions). However, the skin on the treated food looks great. I had a lot of skin slough off at one point and then - smooth, soft skin. I felt like a lizard that basked in the late evening sun and shed its skin in the morning.
The light definitely feels relaxing, and I suspect that that is due to NO production. I get the same brief reduction in anxiety if I eat beet chips (had to stop since they are very high in oxalates - watch out if you have had oxalate kidney stones) or do a burst of high intensity exercise (e.g., burpees, jumping jacks, jump squats).
Specifically, quoting from your citation: "Light in the 700–750 nm range, for example, tends to have little impact, whereas the impact of light in the 600–690 nm or 760–900 nm is far greater". Thus, implying (at least to me) that as long as the wavelength is in a range seen as effective, it is appropriate for use in treatment.
Further..."Additionally it is important to note that the treatment duration, and the frequency of repetition can have influence on the success (or lack thereof). Finally there is some evidence that pulsing the light can have a better effect than continuous wave (CW) light.
As to your comment on NO, Vielight information seems to focus on the ability of these wavelengths (in red) to increase NO (Nitric Oxide). So your conclusion seems appropriate.
Why the 810 wavelength in some of Vielight devices? Because..."Tedord et al [31] also used human cadaver heads to compare penetration of 660 nm, 808 nm, and 940nm light. They found 808 nm light was best and could reach a depth in the brain of 40–50mm. 633 hardly penetrated at all." But, it also depends on where the light is directed onto the head (best in the occipital region, back of the head, not the frontal regions).
Specifically relating to PD and the ability of PBM to assist when wavelengths are not delivered to the head, ..."In a study of PBM for Parkinson’s disease in a mouse model [33]. Mitrofanis ( Mr. Barr in developing his PBM basket used Metrofanis' studies as a guide) and colleagues compared delivering light to the mouse head, and also covered up the head with aluminum foil so that they delivered light to the remainder of the mouse body. They found that there was a highly beneficial effect on neurocognitive behavior with irradiation to the head, but nevertheless there was also a statistically significant (although less pronounced benefit, referred to by these authors as an ‘abscopal effect”) when the head was shielded from light."
Vielight's primary devices use 810 (identical to Barr's) but pulse at 10 or 40 Hz depending on the device. Their X-Plus combines 810 (head) and 633 (intra-nasal).
Vielight 633 nm (through the nasal passage) is used primarily for blood irradiation to promote an immune response and kill infections. Not something new; this approach goes back into the 1950s. I'm not sure if this wave length (633 nm) is applicable to PD. It might since the nasal passage is a direct channel to the brain.
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