Potential of Intranasal Light Therapy?

[JohnAdams70]

Hello,

Ever since my 78 year old father started showing mild signs of Alzheimer's five months ago, I've started searching for alternative solutions in the hopes that I might slow down the progression of his dementia and the degeneration of his cognitive ability.

I came across an article in Dr. Rowen's newsletter(http://www.mediclights.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Newsletter-2nd-11-13.pdf) about a relatively new field called "Intranasal Light Therapy". His monthly articles have a large following in North America and they focus mainly on complementary and alternative medicine. As an advocate of mainstream medicine, I was skeptical at first despite his scientific reasoning but further research into the pre-existing research done at Harvard, Stanford and Boston University behind "Low Level Laser Therapy" actually convinced me into giving this product called the '810 Infrared' by a Canadian-based company called 'Vielight' a try.

A month has progressed and so far, my father seems to be more alert and his memory functions better. Though, it's still too soon to actually tell if this might be the side effect of the cholinesterase inhibiting drugs he's been taking but there is definitely a noticeable improvement over the months where he was just on the drugs.

I was wondering if anyone else has any thoughts in regards to this new field for treating Alzheimer's? I'm extremely hopeful and this field seems like the most promising alternative so far as there are no harmful side effects, unlike drugs.

Links
Dr Rowen's Article on Intranasal Light Therapy : http://www.mediclights.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Newsletter-2nd-11-13.pdf
Stanford University article : http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/PDF/B53.pdf
Harvard University articles : http://www.theragem.com/docs/harvardstudy.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065857/
Boston University article : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3104287/
A British scientific article : www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1743298/pdf/v081p00436.pdf

NASA research further explains:
“Low-energy photon irradiation by light in the far-red to near-IR spectral range with low-energy (LLLT) lasers or LED arrays has been found to modulate various biological processes in cell culture and animal models. This phenomenon of photobiomodulation has been applied clinically in the treatment of soft tissue injuries and the acceleration of wound healing. The mechanism of photobiomodulation by red to near-IR light at the cellular level has been ascribed to the activation of mitochondrial respiratory chain components, resulting in initiation of a signaling cascade that promotes cellular proliferation and cytoprotection.”
“A growing body of evidence suggests that cytochrome oxidase is a key photoacceptor of light in the far-red to near-IR spectral range. Cytochrome oxidase is an integral membrane protein that contains four redox active metal centers and has a strong absorbency in the far-red to near-IR spectral range detectable in vivo by near-IR spectroscopy.”
“Moreover, 660–680 nm of irradiation has been shown to increase electron transfer in purified cytochrome oxidase, increase mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis in isolated mitochondria, and up-regulate cytochrome oxidase activity in cultured neuronal cells.”
“LED photostimulation induces a cascade of signaling events initiated by the initial absorption of light by cytochrome oxidase. These signaling events may include the activation of immediate early genes, transcription factors, cytochrome oxidase subunit gene expression, and a host of other enzymes and pathways related to increased oxidative metabolism.”
“In addition to increased oxidative metabolism, red to near-IR light stimulation of mitochondrial electron transfer is known to increase the generation of reactive oxygen species. These mitochondrially generated reactive oxygen species may function as signaling molecules to provide communication between mitochondria and the cysts and nucleus.”
Therapeutic photobiomodulation for methanol-induced retinal toxicity.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Mar18; 100(6): 3439-44. Epub 2003 Mar 07.

 

[kolkhoznik]

Hello. No feedback on this light therapy in many months. Does anyone else have positive or negative experience with intranasal red/infrared light? John, do you have any update on whether or not this therapy continued to be of benefit to your father? I wish him, and you, well.

The North American Association for Light Therapy conference is this week and I'll be curious to see what new information/trial results come from it.

Best,

Matt

 

[Haylett]

Fascinating. I hadn't heard of it and would love to hear more. Thanks for flagging it up & I hope so much that you are continuing to see good results for your father.

 

[jenniferpa]

I'm afraid John hasn't been back to the forum since January.

 

[Tricot]

I came upon this thread when I put Vielight into the search engine. The original post is the only one I can find where someone has experience of one of these machines. As the post is over 4 years old, I'm wondering if anyone else has now tried it out. I came across it while investigating mitochondria and low level laser therapy. I'm a natural sceptic and my first reaction is always to suspect snake oil salesmen but there have been small clinical trials:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03160027

and there is a larger ongoing trial

It's encouraging that the manufacturers offer an 80% refund if it's found unhelpful after a 6 month trial. But the cheapest version is £300ish.

 

[canary]

Call me cynical @Tricot but it looks to me as though the original poster registered on here, made enough posts to be able to add links, then made that post containing all those links and was never seen again.

You will find this sort of activity all over the boards and I have a strong suspicion that many manufacturers use this site as a cheap and easy source of advertisement to a group of people who might be willing to try anything.
Just my opinion, of course.

This form of therapy seems to have simply died the death, Im afraid.

 

[Tricot]

I think you may well be right about the original post @canary but I am going to look into this further at some point. If it's worth reporting back, I will do so. (I'm a cynic, too BTW!)

 

[Bazbro]

Hi,
I don't have any links to any companies etc and I'm just a regular guy in my 50's who sees and hears of a lot of people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's.
I've been doing a lot of research into photobiomodulation and the benefits that this could bring.
My question is, why is this not available as a mainstream option or even an alternative option to sufferers?
This technology seems to be readily available and accepted as a treatment in USA and Australia etc but the UK seems to be oblivious of it.

 

[Lellyhelly]

Sorry, please explain photobiomodulation.

 

[Lawson58]

Photobiomodulation is another name for laser therapy and seems to be associated with alternative medical practices. It seems to recommended for pain relief, tissue repair, inflammation etc but not sure what the application to Alzheimer's is all about.

Places in Australia offering it are of the natural therapies field but not sure how laser therapies fits into that scheme of things.

It has been around for a long time and I feel that if there had been some benefit for dementia sufferers we would have heard about it by now.