"Light therapy": how it works and can give people back their memories
A laser treatment technology known as transcranial photobiomodulation has shown good results in improving short-term memory.A group of scientists is studying the potential of noninvasive laser therapy to improve cognitive function. The researchers have already gotten the first promising initial results. They were able to improve short-term memory in people by affecting certain areas of the brain through the skull with certain wavelengths of laser light.
What is transcranial photobiomodulation?
Transcranial Photobiomodulation (tPBM) is a non-invasive procedure in which near-infrared light (850 nanometers) is applied to the forebrain. In simple words, a special machine sends photons into the brain using a laser, bypassing the cranium. The goal is to cause changes in brain activity.
Has this method been used before?
In previous studies, scientists have tested how tPBM will improve various aspects of brain function. For example, in cerebral oxygenation (oxygenation of the brain). Biologists are also studying how the method can be used to treat brain diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. And right now, clinical trials are underway to study its effects of near-infrared light on autism spectrum disorders.
How did the experiment go?
Previous studies have shown that tPBM improves memory in mice, but these connections have yet to be studied in humans. That's exactly what scientists from the University of Birmingham and the Chinese University of Education did. They recruited 90 men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 and applied laser light therapy to the right prefrontal cortex.
It is this region of the brain that plays an important role in short-term memory. Scientists wanted to understand how tPBM affects it. To do this, scientists exposed the brains of some patients to laser light with a wavelength of 1,064 nanometers, and some with shorter wavelengths.
There was a third group of subjects who were "irradiated" with the left prefrontal cortex. All subjects also underwent sham laser therapy to rule out the placebo effect. Throughout the experiments, scientists monitored the subjects' brain activity using an electroencephalogram (EEG).
What did the experiment show?
After 12 minutes of tPBM treatment, subjects performed memory tasks. They were asked to recall the orientation or colors of several elements on the screen. Those who received the 1,064 nm laser treatment had a better memory: they remembered, on average, 2.1 objects. And those subjects who received other forms of treatment remembered an average of 1.9 objects.
Overall, the control EEG showed changes consistent with improved memory.
Who can benefit from light therapy?
As scientists explain, people with conditions such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or other attention-related conditions can benefit from tPBM. Its benefit is that it is safe, simple and non-invasive. It also has no side effects.