No idea on this one, ask your doctor for guidance.
Augmentation of cognitive brain functions with transcranial lasers
Discovering
that transcranial infrared laser stimulation produces beneficial
effects on frontal cortex functions such as sustained attention, working
memory, and affective state has been groundbreaking. Transcranial laser
stimulation with low-power density (mW/cm2) and high-energy density (J/cm2)
monochromatic light in the near-infrared wavelengths modulates brain
functions and may produce neurotherapeutic effects in a nondestructive
and non-thermal manner (Lampl, 2007; Hashmi et al., 2010). Barrett and Gonzalez-Lima (2013)
provided the first controlled study showing that transcranial laser
stimulation improves human cognitive and emotional brain functions. But
for the field of low-level light/laser therapy (LLLT), development of a
model of how luminous energy from red-to-near-infrared wavelengths
modulates bioenergetics began with in vitro and in vivo
discoveries in the last 40 years. Previous LLLT reviews have provided
extensive background about historical developments, principles and
applications (Rojas and Gonzalez-Lima, 2011, 2013; Chung et al., 2012).
The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on LLLT's
neurochemical mechanisms supporting transcranial laser stimulation for
cognitive-enhancing applications. We will explain first LLLT's action on
brain bioenergetics, briefly describe its bioavailability and
dose-response, and finish with its beneficial effects on cognitive
functions. Although our focus is on prefrontal-related cognitive
functions, in principle LLLT should be able to modulate other brain
functions. For example, stimulating different brain regions should
affect different functions related to sensory and motor systems.
Brain bioenergetics
The
way that near-infrared lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) interact
with brain function is based on bioenergetics, a mechanism that is
fundamentally different than that of other brain stimulation methods
such as electric and magnetic stimulation. LLLT has been found to
modulate the function of neurons in cell cultures, brain function in
animals, and cognitive and emotional functions in healthy persons and
clinical conditions. Photoneuromodulation involves the absorption of
photons by specific molecules in neurons that activate bioenergetic
signaling pathways after exposure to red-to-near-infrared light. The
600–1150 nm wavelengths allow better tissue penetration by photons
because light is scattered at lower wavelengths and absorbed by water at
higher wavelengths (Hamblin and Demidova, 2006).
Over 25 years ago, it was found that molecules that absorb LLLT
wavelengths are part of the mitochondrial respiratory enzyme cytochrome
oxidase in different oxidation states (Karu et al., 2005). Thus, for red-to-near-infrared light, the primary molecular photoacceptor of photon energy is cytochrome oxidase (also called cytochrome c oxidase or cytochrome a-a3) (Pastore et al., 2000).
Therefore,
photon energy absorption by cytochrome oxidase is well-established as
the primary neurochemical mechanism of action of LLLT in neurons
(Wong-Riley et al., 2005).
The more the enzymatic activity of cytochrome oxidase increases, the
more metabolic energy that is produced via mitochondrial oxidative
phosphorylation. LLLT supplies the brain with metabolic energy in a way
analogous to the conversion of nutrients into metabolic energy, but with
light instead of nutrients providing the source for ATP-based metabolic
energy (Mochizuki-Oda et al., 2002). If an effective near-infrared light energy dose is supplied, it stimulates brain ATP production (Lapchak and De Taboada, 2010) and blood flow (Uozumi et al., 2010),
thereby fueling ATP-dependent membrane ion pumps, leading to greater
membrane stability and resistance to depolarization, which has been
shown to transiently reduce neuronal excitability (Konstantinovic et
al., 2013). On the other hand, electromagnetic stimulation directly changes the electrical excitability of neurons.
A
long-lasting effect is achieved by LLLT's up-regulating the amount of
cytochrome oxidase, which enhances neuronal capacity for metabolic
energy production that may be used to support cognitive brain functions.
In mice and rats, memory has been improved by LLLT (Michalikova et al.,
2008; Rojas et al., 2012a) and by methylene blue, a drug that at low doses donates electrons to cytochrome oxidase (Rojas et al., 2012b).
Near-infrared light stimulates mitochondrial respiration by donating
photons to cytochrome oxidase, because cytochrome oxidase is the main
acceptor of photons from red-to-near-infrared light in neurons. By
persistently stimulating cytochrome oxidase activity, transcranial LLLT
induces post-stimulation up-regulation of the amount of cytochrome
oxidase in brain mitochondria (Rojas et al., 2012a).
Therefore, LLLT may lead to the conversion of luminous energy into
metabolic energy (during light exposure) and to the up-regulation of the
mitochondrial enzymatic machinery to produce more energy (after light
exposure).
Conclusions
Transcranial
absorption of photon energy by cytochrome oxidase, the terminal enzyme
in mitochondrial respiration, is proposed as the bioenergetic mechanism
of action of LLLT in the brain. Transcranial LLLT up-regulates cortical
cytochrome oxidase and enhances oxidative phosphorylation. LLLT improves
prefrontal cortex-related cognitive functions, such as sustained
attention, extinction memory, working memory, and affective state.
Transcranial infrared stimulation may be used efficaciously to support
neuronal mitochondrial respiration as a new non-invasive,
cognition-improving intervention in animals and humans. This fascinating
new approach should also be able to influence other brain functions
depending on the neuroanatomical site stimulated and the stimulation
parameters used.
Lots more at link including references for your doctor to verify this research.
No comments:
Post a Comment