Near-Infrared And Red Light Therapy For Brain Health (Slow Progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease)

Recent studies have now found that photobiomodulation may significantly slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Red and near-infrared light have been shown to:

• Benefit cognitive performance and memory

• Improved mitochondrial function of brain cells

• Have a protective effect on neurons

• Improve cellular repair of neurons

• Increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF)

• Decrease brain inflammation (decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines)

  • Hamblin, M, et al. (2018). Low-level light therapy: Photobiomodulation. Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

  •  Meng, C. et al. (2013).  Low-level laser therapy rescues dendrite atrophy via upregulating BDNF expression: implications for Alzheimer’s disease. The Journal of Neuroscience.

  • Johnstone, D. et al. (2015). Turning On Lights to Stop Neurodegeneration: The Potential of Near Infrared Light Therapy in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience.

  • de la Torre, JC. (2017). Treating cognitive impairment with transcranial low level laser therapy. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology.

  • Hamblin, M. (2016). Shining light on the head: Photobiomodulation for brain disorders. BBA Clinical.

  • Johnstone, D. et. al. (2015). Turning On Lights to Stop Neurodegeneration: The Potential of Near Infrared Light Therapy in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 9: 500.

  • Fannie Darlot,Ph.D., et al. (2015) Near-infrared light is neuroprotective in a monkey model of Parkinson disease