Mehr als ein halbes Jahrzehnt ist vergangen, seit wir den ersten Vielight Neuro auf den Markt gebracht haben, und es ist an der Zeit, die Gründe für sein Design zu überprüfen und zu bekräftigen. Als Pioniere der transkraniell-intranasalen Hirnphotobiomodulationstechnologie gibt es mehrere wichtige Gründe, warum unser neuestes Modell, das Vielight Neuro 3, in der Lage ist, auch in absehbarer Zukunft die höchste Wirksamkeit in Verbindung mit einem benutzerfreundlichen Design zu einem erschwinglichen Preis zu bieten.

• Der intranasale Vorteil
• Die Wahl: Vielight Neuro Headset oder wiederverwendete Helme?
• Ausrichtung auf das Standardmodusnetz
• Die Theorie hinter den Pulsraten
• Validierung durch Forschung

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Der intranasale Vorteil

“Warum die Nase?” – Diesen Satz haben wir schon viel zu oft gehört.

Wir haben die Nase wegen ihrer Lage und Struktur ausgewählt. Die Nase ist ein Einfallstor für die 810nm-Lichtenergie im nahen Infrarot (NIR), um den ventralen Bereich (Unterseite) des Gehirns zu erreichen, der sonst unzugänglich wäre. Die Regionen des Gehirns, die sich auf der Unterseite des Gehirns befinden, spielen eine wichtige Rolle bei emotionalen Reaktionen, Entscheidungsfindung und Selbstkontrolle. Darüber hinaus ist der nasale (olfaktorische) Bereich direkt mit der Gedächtnisverarbeitung (Hippocampus, entorhinaler Kortex) und der Emotionssteuerung (Amygdala) verbunden und ermöglicht den Zugang zu anderen Bereichen des Gehirns (Thalamus).

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Die Wahl: Vielight Neuro Headset oder wiederverwendete Helme?

Es mag verlockend sein, einen Fahrradhelm, einen Hut oder einen Eimer zu nehmen, ihn mit LEDs zu bestücken und ihn ein “Photobiomodulationsgerät für das Gehirn” zu nennen.
Aber haben Sie schon einmal darüber nachgedacht, ob sie wirksam sind?

Nach einem Jahrzehnt Erfahrung als eines der ersten Unternehmen im Bereich der Photobiomodulation des Gehirns haben wir gelernt, dass eine effektive Photobiomodulation des Gehirns nicht so einfach ist. Vor allem, wenn wir ein Gerät anbieten wollen, das auf sichere Weise ein Maximum an Licht in das Gehirn leitet.

Als forschungsorientiertes Unternehmen haben wir festgestellt, dass bei der Maximierung der Wirksamkeit der Photobiomodulation des Gehirns mehrere Schlüsselfaktoren ins Spiel kommen.

     1. Übertragung von NIR-Lichtenergie

NIR-Lichtenergie ist eine Form der elektromagnetischen Strahlung, die aus Teilchen wie Photonen besteht, die wellenartige Eigenschaften haben.

In der Natur kann Lichtenergie die Zellphysiologie eines Organismus beeinflussen, aber wie bringen wir sie richtig an?

Mehrere Eigenschaften der Lichtenergie beeinflussen die Übertragung von NIR-Energie auf das Gehirn.

• Die Lichtenergie wird bei der Ausbreitung über Entfernungen schwächer, weil die inverse square law of light.  
• Lichtenergie wird vom Haar absorbiert.

Angesichts dieser beiden Faktoren sind Helme/Hüte usw. nicht ideal für die Photobiomodulation des Gehirns. Zusätzlich zu dem Energieverlust, der entsteht, wenn das Licht aus dem Helm/der Mütze/dem Hut usw. austritt, werden die Haare zu einer Hemmschwelle, da sie das Restlicht absorbieren, da die schwebenden LEDs keinen Kontakt mit der Haut haben.

Zweitens ist die Positionierung der LEDs für die Wirksamkeit entscheidend. Die LEDs müssen in den Bereichen des Gehirns positioniert werden, die am stärksten betroffen sind. Die Qualität der ausgewählten Stellen in Verbindung mit Leistung und Frequenz ist wichtiger als die bloße Anzahl der wahllos platzierten LEDs, die zu weit von der Kopfhaut entfernt sind.

Schlimmer noch, sie erzeugen und speichern unbrauchbare/unregulierte Wärme und beeinträchtigen den Komfort und die Tragbarkeit, da sie an Steckdosen angeschlossen werden müssen.

Und schließlich fehlt es den “Einheitsgrößen”-Designs an der Anpassungsfähigkeit an unterschiedliche Kopfgrößen. Igitt!

Geben Sie den Neuro

Figure 1. Penetration of NIR energy into a human cadaver using the Vielight Neuro.

Das Vielight Neuro ist für eine maximale Übertragung der Lichtenergie ausgelegt.

Das Headset der Neuro hat einen angeborenen Designvorteil, da die LED-Module der Neuro so konzipiert wurden, dass sie den Kontakt mit der Kopfhaut maximieren. Die mikrochip-gesteuerten LED-Module kontrollieren auch die Wärmeleistung,

Außerdem ist das Neuro-Headset so konzipiert, dass es sich an verschiedene Kopfgrößen und -formen anpassen lässt. Komfort und Effektivität für Ihr wichtigstes Organ – Ihr Gehirn.

     2. LED-Technologie

Ein berühmter Küchenchef sagte einmal: “Es ist ganz einfach: Gute Zutaten ergeben ein gutes Essen. Eine weitere wichtige Zutat (oder ein Faktor) bei der Photobiomodulation des Gehirns ist die Art der verwendeten LED-Technologie. Das Vielight Neuro verwendet mikrochip-geregelte LED-Dioden, die die gewünschte Leistung bei vernachlässigbarer Wärme erzeugen. Dadurch können die LEDs in direktem Kontakt mit der Kopfhautoberfläche stehen, um die Energieübertragung und -durchdringung zu maximieren.

Andererseits ist die Verwendung zahlreicher minderwertiger LEDs kein “Rezept für eine Katastrophe”, sondern für einen Misserfolg, da sie das Fehlen einer Wärmeregulierungstechnologie häufig durch eine geringere Leistungsdichte kompensieren. Bei Vielight kann unsere proprietäre LED-Technologie so viel Energie wie nötig innerhalb sicherer und effizienter Grenzen extrahieren.

     3. Sind mehr LEDs besser?

Nicht unbedingt – erstens müssen die LEDs genügend Energie mit der richtigen Wellenlänge erzeugen, um den Schädel zu durchdringen. Es ist wenig sinnvoll, eine hohe Gesamtleistung zu erzeugen, wenn nichts davon das Gehirn erreicht.

Als Verbraucher sollten Sie sich immer über den Unterschied zwischen Leistungsdichte (mW/cm2) und Gesamtleistung (mW) im Klaren sein. Die Leistungsdichte ist wichtig, nicht die Gesamtleistungsabgabe. Leistungsdichte und Wellenlänge (810 nm) sind die beiden wichtigsten Faktoren, die bestimmen, ob Photonen den Schädel durchdringen und das Gehirn erreichen. Die Gesamtausgangsleistung kann eine irreführende Angabe sein, da sie leicht durch die Verwendung vieler LEDs mit geringer Leistung und schlechter Qualität erreicht werden kann.

Das Sprichwort “Qualität vor Quantität” trifft hier zu!

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Ausrichtung auf das Standardmodusnetz

There are approximately 86 billion neurons in the human brain. That’s a lot of neurons. For reference, there are approximately 200-400 billon stars in our galaxy.  Neurons are highly interconnected – our brain stimulation optimization theory is to pick the most important regions that show the highest interconnectivity. Hence, our research team chose the default mode network (DMN) as the primary target for the Vielight Neuro. Here’s why.

The Vielight Neuro targets the Default Mode Network.

• Why the Default Mode Network?

The general health of the brain is often associated with the health of the default mode network (DMN), often considered the template network of the brain. It is a large-scale brain network primarily composed of the lateral parietal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, precuneus and the entorhinal cortex. The DMN is prominent when the brain is in its quiet state of repose.^[1] Several brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease has been associated with dysfunctional DMN.^[2]

In a nutshell, the Default Mode Network (DMN) has been linked to the general health of the brain and is involved in various domains of cognitive and social processing. Do you know of a better target for brain photobiomodulation? If so, let us know.

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The Theory behind Pulse Rates

We have found that the pulse rate matters in brain PBM. The brain responds to pulse rate stimulation in specific ways. When we stimulate a healthy brain in gamma (40 Hz), we can elevate the amplitude of gamma and other fast waves in alpha and beta in the brain while reducing those of the slow delta and theta ^[3]. Independent researchers have found success in the use of the Vielight Neuro Gamma for dementia ^[4] , Parkinson’s Disease ^[5] ; and the Vielight Alpha (10 Hz) in traumatic brain injury ^[6] . However, please note that our devices are still general wellness device and not medical devices. We don’t claim efficacy for any indication and can only point towards research already published with our devices. (https://www.vielight.com/de//research)

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Validation via Research

At Vielight, research is in our DNA. We understand the need to validate the engineering theory behind our devices with scientific data. A simple idea like placing LEDs on your head can turn surprisingly complex when taking different parameters into account, like the pulse rate, wavelength and power density to maximize efficacy.

With that in mind, we’ve invested heavily in research and clinical trials over the years. In fact, Vielight devices have the most published research in the field of brain photobiomodulation to date.

For a full list of published research that used our devices: Link

We’re grateful to all the research institutions we’ve collaborated with over the years and look forward to a bright future of discoveries together.

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References

1. Sormaz, Mladen; Murphy, Charlotte; Wang, Hao-Ting; Hymers, Mark; Karapanagiotidis, Theodoros; Poerio, Giulia; Margulies, Daniel S.; Jefferies, Elizabeth; Smallwood, Jonathan (2018). “Default mode network can support the level of detail in experience during active task states”
2. Buckner, R. L.; Andrews-Hanna, J. R.; Schacter, D. L. (2008). “The Brain’s Default Network: Anatomy, Function, and Relevance to Disease”. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
3. Zomorrodi, R., Loheswaran, G., Pushparaj, A., & Lim, L. (2019). Pulsed Near Infrared Transcranial and Intranasal Photobiomodulation Significantly Modulates Neural Oscillations: a pilot exploratory study. Scientific Reports, 9.
4. Chao LL. Effects of Home Photobiomodulation Treatments on Cognitive and Behavioral Function, Cerebral Perfusion, and Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Patients with Dementia: A Pilot Trial. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2019 Mar;37(3):133-141. doi: 10.1089/photob.2018.4555.
5. Liebert A, Bicknell B, Laakso EL, Heller G, Jalilitabaei P, Tilley S, Mitrofanis J, Kiat H. Improvements in clinical signs of Parkinson’s disease using photobiomodulation: a prospective proof-of-concept study. BMC Neurol. 2021 Jul 2;21(1):256. Doi: 10.1186/s12883-021-02248-y.
6. Chao LL, Barlow C, Karimpoor M, Lim L. Changes in Brain Function and Structure After Self-Administered Home Photobiomodulation Treatment in a Concussion Case. Front Neurol. 2020;11:952. Published 2020 Sep 8. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00952

The post Understanding the Vielight Neuro 3 first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The post Understanding the Vielight Neuro 3 appeared first on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The words “brain” and “stimulation”, by themselves, are easily recognizable by most people. However, the combination of the two may cause a confusion in some. On its own the word “stimulation” refers to the action of improving performance of something or of someone. Combining the words “brain” and “stimulation” clearly references a process that encourages some transformation or modulation in brain activity.  The lack of clarity appears because there is no explicit reference to what exactly this “brain stimulation” is or does.

Context and Meaning of the Term Brain Stimulation

In the absence of a clear context, this subject can present numerous inferences. A more specific context would be helpful in better understanding the meaning of the term brain stimulation. In some cases, unfortunately, too often, terms like this one are thrown around without much clarity and specific context. In others, they represent a scientific or medical lingo, and can cause moments of intellectual discomfort to a layperson.

Thus, in reference to a healthy individual with no brain related abnormalities, the term “brain stimulation” can mean a few things. For example, maximization of this individual’s cognitive abilities through some form of brain stimulation is one, somewhat generic, option. By establishing these references, you can draw a more cohesive concept that is much easier to understand. Meanwhile, additional information, which can further clarify this concept and process, is still missing. For example, there is no specific reference to the form of stimulation, which is an important condition. There are numerous ways in which a brain can be stimulated, and some are more complex and invasive than others.

You are probably noticing how more contextual clarity can help to define and simplify your understanding of new complex terminology. Now that this matter is out of the way, let’s dive a little deeper into the subject of brain stimulation.

Types of Brain Stimulation Simplified

As often does any intellectually challenging material, brain stimulation requires clarification and even some simplification. Thus, it is easy to identify two general types of brain stimulation based on the levels of its intrusiveness. One is non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), and the other type would be invasive. Each of these types include various forms or modalities of brain stimulation. It most likely sounds to you that the non-invasive brain stimulation would be preferred over the invasive one. In principal, it would be the case, if all modalities of brain stimulation could deliver equal benefits. In reality, selection depends on a specific need at hand, and the capability of a given modality to achieve it.

Without getting deep into complex neurological and medical aspects of various form of brain stimulation, let’s discuss what they are.

Briefly About Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Terms

Non-invasive forms of brain stimulation are gaining attention from both the scientists and the practitioners alike. The more commonly used forms of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) are Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Current Stimulation (TCS). However, one of the most recent forms of non-invasive brain stimulation is Transcranial Photobiomodulation (tPBM) or Transcranial Photoneuromodulation (tPNM). TPBM is rapidly evolving through growing research spurred by its simplicity, low cost and a potentially wide spectrum of applications.

Notably, the word “transcranial” is prominently present in the names of all three forms of non-invasive brain stimulation. Not to be confused with “intracranial” meaning “inside the skull”, transcranial means “passing through the skull”. In the case of non-invasive brain stimulation, the stimulation is delivered transcranially, or from outside of the skull. Such procedure does not require and physical alterations to the skull, neither outside, nor inside. Hence, the name of the procedure, non-invasive brain stimulation.

On the other hand, invasive forms of brain stimulation usually presuppose a direct stimulation of the brain inside the skull. Common techniques of invasive brain stimulation include Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and neurosurgical procedures. These techniques require direct intracranial access to the brain. In simple words, the skull has to be opened surgically in order to deliver stimulation to the brain.

Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Brain Stimulation

As new technologies evolve, new modalities for therapies emerge. Light therapy, or photobiomodulation (PBM), has been known and studied considerably for over half a century. Recently, a body of promising evidence has emerged from new research in support of the concept of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM). Research studies show that near infrared light (NIR) can penetrate the skull deep enough to reach the brain. Moreover, the studies also show that NIR can affect the brain in a number of meaningful ways.

Thus, the scientists observed that following tPBM sessions using a Vielight Neuro Gamma device, subjects presented increased interconnectivity between influential parts of the brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN). (L.L. Chao, 2019). DMN is an important cluster of brain regions responsible for the resting state of brain. Expressly, DMN enables brain activity during periods of rest, when you do not engage in any specific task. Furthermore, DMN engages in the social working memory (SWM). You use social working memory when you are navigating your social world. For example, SWM engages when you may think of friends, colleagues, others’ beliefs and other social paradigms. (M. Meyer & M. Lieberman, Social Working Memory: Neurocognitive Networks and Directions for Future Research, 2012).

Neurodegenerative disorders and transcranial photbiomodulation

The Dr. Chao finding is highly valuable for a number of reasons. One of them is the relationship between DMN functionality and Alzheimer’s Disease. Thus, functional connectivity in the DMN is disrupted in the brains of those suffering from Alzheimer Disease. The transcranial LED modules of the Vielight Neuro devices are specifically designed for placements that target the nodes of the DMN. This fact could potentially explain the increased functional connectivity in Alzheimer’s subjects observed by Dr. Chao.

When it comes to neurodegenerative conditions or an impairment in the brain, tPBM is showing promise. The range of research for applications of tPBM with NIR stimulation is increasing. Today it includes such complex neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease, as well as PTSD, stroke and depression. (Berman 2017).

Furthermore, a recently published exploratory study has shown more evidence of the positive effects from brain stimulation by transcranial photobiomodulation. (R. Zamorrodi et al, 2019). The subjects in this study were healthy individuals. It presents that even a single twenty-minute tPBM session, using a Vielight Neuro Gamma device, causes significant changes in brain oscillations.

What are brain oscillations?

Brain oscillations, or neural oscillations, are forms of repetitive electrical activity in the brain. They are considered important building blocks in sensory-cognitive processes. (E. Basar, Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 2013). Moreover, brain oscillations are attributable to firings of neurons in the brain, and can vary in frequency, power and phase. These three parameters are measurable and linkable to certain brain states and activities. The insights from the above study can help to optimize tPBM parameters for brains. Optimization can be done for normal brains, those with neurological anomalies, like Alzheimer’s Disease, and those with trauma, like TBI.

Why Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) using light is important?

The simpler way to respond to this question would be to base it on the benefits of the brain stimulation. Importantly, the fact that the therapy is non-invasive reduces the risks and increases the tolerability of the procedure. Therefore, NIBS using light opens another dimension in its non-invasive characteristics. The procedure becomes not only painless, but maybe even undetectable for those who undergo NIBS using light. In absence of acute sensitivities to light, or irritation by the foreign objects, most would sense only the physical pressure of the tPBM device.

Thus, the primary factors of importance of non-invasive brain stimulation using light, are the benefits that this photobiomodulation can deliver. The extent of these benefits is under the lens of a significant scientific research. A worldwide body of scientific evidence is growing to offer a better understanding of the effects of tPBM on the brain. As this new and exciting field of research is gaining momentum, so does the extent of tPBM applications and benefits. The future of non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation with light looks promising. Meanwhile, it awaits further validation and support from solid, evidence-based research. You can expect more news, as new research finds its way into reputable scientific publications.

The post Brain Stimulation with Light Energy first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The post Brain Stimulation with Light Energy appeared first on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

In the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease, to date, no medication has succeeded in modifying Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).  Some AD medications approved by the FDA before 2003 were somewhat helpful for some patients for about 6 months.

Recently, we informed our readers of the start of our major Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pivotal trial. This involves the use of the Vielight Neuro RX Gamma to treat moderate to severe AD. You may ask, “Why should this device even work when billions of dollars have been invested without achieving any notable success?” The answer to this question is several-fold. We do not know for sure until the completion of the ongoing pivotal trial, which is the purpose of it. However, there are a few arguments that warrant the investment in a big trial.

Firstly, the data from a number of small early studies, including those conducted by independent clinical study investigators, were strong. Secondly, the Vielight Gamma employs the use of photobiomodulation (PBM) in a novel way as a viable treatment option. It uses light of selected wavelengths to target certain areas of the brain. The mechanisms of PBM to effect changes are fundamentally different from the use of medication to treat Alzheimer’s Disease.

What are Multi-factorial Pathways?

Dr. Lew Lim, CEO of Vielight Inc. and the inventor of the Neuro RX Gamma explains his theory of the pathways.  Dr. Lim says, “Although research efforts were directed towards the pathologies of amyloid, tau, inflammation, along with many other possible causes, one fundamental point is often overlooked. Drug development seeks out a single protein or molecule to target for modification. However, in reality, many biomolecules, biochemical mechanisms and pathways are involved. These are further complicated by their cross-interactions.

PBM Multi-factorial Pathways

Today, many researchers believe that developing an effective drug should stem from addressing the disease in the early stages, before the pathways get too complicated. Still, this belief makes more sense when targeting a single protein or molecule, and particularly towards preventing the progression of amyloid pathology. However, this approach comes with a big assumption that the AD pathology is not multi-factorial, but caused by a single factor, even in the early stages.”

Dr. Lim reiterates further, “This is where PBM with the Neuro RX Gamma could offer more promise than the use of single-target drug, as, fundamentally, PBM is agnostic to the pathways that AD pathology takes. Instead, PBM stimulates self-correction of aberrations in the brain’s network and systems to restore homeostasis. PBM may not work all the time and for every individual. However, the mechanisms and results from early studies suggest that the odds are better than what other modalities have shown.

The Neuro RX Gamma Role and a Pathway Map

The Neuro RX Gamma’s only intervention is to deliver pulsed near infrared light (NIR) to the default mode network of the brain to influence numerous biochemical pathways. The net result is that PBM would affect the major factors identified with the disease. Much more work is needed to support the theoretical pathways, but the “proof of the pudding is in the eating”. Ultimately, we hope that the pivotal trial will be able to indicate that effective underlying pathways and mechanisms exist.”

The complex multiple pathways are best presented by a pathway map (below) developed recently by Dr. Lim:

You can download the map, its synopsis and the references via this link: https://www.vielight.com/de//photobiomodulation-alzheimers-disease-poster/

Dr. Lim added, “There have been a lot of AD research, and much more can be added to the map. However, I included only the relevant elements that are, in my opinion, the most impactful. I made this selection in order to keep this map as concise as possible.

Finally, a Much-Requested Comprehensive Workshop by Dr. Lew Lim

There is an increasing popular demand for a workshop by Dr. Lew Lim on how to apply photobiomodulation to improve brain functions. He has presented on numerous occasions, both online and at conferences, but never in a comprehensive program. For the first time, he is scheduled to spend a whole day at the ISNR 2019 Conference in Denver to share his knowledge.

These sessions are scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2019. Dr. Lim will start with an 8 a.m. plenary presentation, “Neural Oscillations Induced with Photobiomodulation Could Improve Neurofeedback Outcomes”. This presentation will be followed later with a 3-hour workshop, titled “The Principles and Practice of Photobiomodulation Relevant to Neurofeedback”.

Furthermore, there will also be a demonstration of new Vielight products. In addition, Penijean Gracefire will deliver a plenary presentation, “Clinical Considerations of EEG-Guided Pulsed Near-Infrared Light as Feedback”.

Opportunity to Meet, Learn and Share

According to Dr. Lim, “Although a lot of content and information will be shared at this conference, there will be very little overlapping of content over the duration of the various presentations. Much of the content will be new and will go beyond neurofeedback.”

Last, but not least, Vielight will also have a booth at the conference where attendees can ask questions and experience the Vielight technology first-hand. Furthermore, practitioners will be able to obtain a generous conference-only discount for Vielight products.

We are giving the information about this conference early in view of the amount of useful content to be delivered in this conference. Readers interested in this will have time to make plans to attend.

More information about ISNR is available on this website: https://theisnr.wixsite.com/2019-conference.

Vielight Returns to the IMMH Conference in August

Once again, Vielight will be present at the Integrative Medicine (IMMH) for Mental Health Conference. Interest in the Vielight technologies continues to grow among integrative medicine practitioners.  Therefore, this conference is a good opportunity for friends and followers to reconnect and learn of updates. The conference will be held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront during 15-18 August 2019. Find us at the booth #53!

Vielight to be Present at the American Psychological Association (APA) 2019 Conference 

For the first time, Vielight will be present at the American Psychological Association (APA) 2019 Conference from August 8-11, 2019 in Chicago. The venue is the McCormick Place. If you are attending, we invite you to visit our Booth #415. Come by to chat, try our products and learn how our brain-focused technology can be used in the field of psychology.

The post Photobiomodulation Creates Multi-factorial Pathways first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The post Photobiomodulation Creates Multi-factorial Pathways appeared first on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

Last month we published an interview with Margaret Naeser, PhD, located at the VA Boston Healthcare System, and Research Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine. She shared many very interesting facts from her research work in transcranial photobiomodulation.

This month we continue our interview with Prof. Naeser. We asked her to elaborate on other directions in her research which is very significant in scope. This time we asked Prof. Naeser only one question. Her answer was much more than what we could hope for, and you can read it below.

Why have you chosen your areas of research and what would be the potential benefits of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) in those areas?

My first area of tPBM research was with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and it was chosen for me. In 2007, Michael R. Hamblin, PhD, from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School contacted me, at the Boston VA Medical Center, to see if the Department of Veterans Affairs would be interested to use tPBM to help treat soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who may have cognitive problems following TBI and IED blast exposure.

Dr. Hamblin was aware that a paper was about to be published in the medical journal, Stroke. This paper was showing that tPBM, using a near infrared light (NIR) wavelength of light, could penetrate through skin, skull and the meninges to reach brain cortex, to help reduce symptom severity in acute stroke patients. (Lampl et al., 2007.) Consequently, I agreed to follow up on this. Since then, we have published three TBI papers. Our papers show improved cognition in chronic TBI, following a series of tPBM treatments. (Naeser et al., 2011; 2014; and 2016 review.) We were able to conduct an open-protocol study using transcranial, light-emitting diodes (tLED) with 11 chronic, TBI cases. This study was done through Dr. Ross Zafonte, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Applying Transcranial Photobiomodulation Therapy to Chronic Stroke Patients with Aphasia.

Because we observed significant improvements following a series of tLED treatments in the chronic TBI cases, we decided to try a tLED protocol with chronic stroke patients who had language problems (aphasia), due to a stroke located in the left hemisphere of the brain.

To summarize, I have over 35 years of brain imaging research with chronic stroke patients, who have aphasia. This, for example, included studying exactly where, within the left hemisphere of the brain, the damage was located. Thus, I used CT scans and MRI scans for this research to pinpoint the lesion sites. Based on those lesion site locations, we studied stroke recovery. We worked on predicting potential for recovery of speech and language comprehension at 1 year after the stroke. Also, from 1999 – 2013, my lab had explored the use of repetitive, transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (rTMS) to improve language in chronic stroke patients with aphasia. Our rTMS research with Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Harvard Medical School, showed that language could be improved with this method.

Thus, I had experience in working with brain plasticity. I wanted to explore other non-invasive brain stimulation methods for patients with brain damage.  I was especially interested to explore the use of tLED, because it had the potential for self-administered, home treatments.

Establishing a tPBM Treatment Protocol for Chronic Stroke Patients with Aphasia.

It took several years to establish an optimal tLED treatment protocol for chronic stroke. It turned out that the tLED treatment protocol for TBI did not work well with the stroke patients.

The tLED protocol for TBI included placement of the LED cluster heads on both sides of the head/brain and all along the midline of the head, from front hairline to back hairline, including both the left and right supplementary motor areas, SMAs at the top of the head. This tLED protocol was helpful for the TBI cases, because they had damage in both sides of the head/brain. However, our best results for treating stroke patients with left hemisphere stroke, who had aphasia, was to only place the LED cluster heads on the same side of the head, as where the stroke had occurred (left side, in aphasia patients), plus only two LED placements on the midline of the head (mesial prefrontal cortex and precuneus which are cortical nodes of the Default Mode Network).

This latter protocol for the left-hemisphere stroke patients with aphasia was observed to significantly increase naming ability. As well, it improved functional connectivity in the Default Mode Network. (Ho, Martin, Yee et al., 2016; Naeser, Ho, Martin et al., PMLS, in press).

Expanding application of our optimal tPBM treatment protocol for language.

The same, optimal tLED treatment protocol we worked out for the left-hemisphere stroke patients with aphasia, is now the tLED placement protocol we think could be helpful in autism spectrum (ASD) and Down Syndrome (DS). Impaired language is often a major problem in children with ASD and DS.

The tLED placements include two midline placements on the Default Mode Network (mesial prefrontal cortex and precuneus) and over the language areas of the left hemisphere (Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area and other left perisylvian language areas). We have a few anecdotal case reports suggesting this tLED protocol was helpful to improve language in children with DS. In these cases, the parents have been treating the children at home. The improvements included new production of complete sentences, vs. only single words prior to the tLED intervention. (Anita Saltmarche, BScN, MHSc, personal communication.) We need to do more research in this area.

For example, our tLED research with the retired, professional football players who are possibly developing CTE, originated from our tLED research protocol with the chronic TBI cases, plus the dementia study done in Toronto. (Saltmarche, Naeser et al., 2017.)

Optimism, more studies, more research, more data.

We continue to be optimistic about the rapidly advancing tLED technology. We are encouraged regarding potential application of red and near-infrared LEDs to help treat other central nervous system disorders. Our goal is to improve quality of life for as long as possible. It is especially important for those who have progressive neurodegenerative disease such as dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, as well as the professional athletes who have suffered repetitive head impacts and are possibly developing CTE.  As I noted above, we need to do more research studies.

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In our attempt to help many interested in the subject of photobiomodulation therapy and the science behind it, we asked two well-respected scientists and researchers to join us. They kindly agreed to participate in a photobiomodulation therapy discussion and even dived into its applications, including transcranial photbiomodulation. They offered their unique takes on this interesting and promising subject matter. To facilitate this discussion, we came up with three very straight-forward questions for them to answer.

Questions:

1: What is photobiomodulation in general, and what is transcranial photobiomodulation specifically?

2: Based on your research work, what do you view as the most promising areas for photobiomodulation applications?

3: Why have you chosen those areas of research, and what could be the potential benefits of photobiomodulation in those areas?

It was our intention to cover the subject of photobiomodulation more holistically and to offer a deeper and wider perspective on it. At the same time we asked our subject matter experts to keep their answers to a more popular format, as much as possible. Thus, the three questions helped us to engage our guests into an intriguing photbiomodulation therapy discussion.

Guests

Our guests for this blog post are Prof. Michael Hamblin, Ph.D and Prof. Jay Sanguinetti, Ph.D. Prof. Hamblin is a retired Principal Investigator at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Affiliated Faculty of Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology. Prof. Sanguinetti is Research Assistant Professor and Head of the NICE lab (Non-Invasive Cognitive Enhancement) at the University of New Mexico. Both guests are talented and prolific researchers with impressive resumes and significant accomplishments.

Perhaps, the generational gap is the major difference between these two men of science. Prof. Hamblin has recently retired after a long and prolific career in science, research and teaching. However, he carries on with his research and continues to add more scientific papers to the body of those numerous which he has already published. On the other hand, Prof. Sangunetti belongs to a younger generation. The body of his research work is growing and gaining momentum and attention. Earlier this year, he gave a presentation at the TEDx Talks.

Now that our guests are introduced, let us get to an exciting photobiomodulation therapy discussion and their thoughts on the subject of what photobiomodualtion is, does and could do in the future.

Michael Hamblin 

Michael Hamblin gets the first go at this. In his answers to our three question, Dr. Hamblin offered the following thoughts and insights based on his long and prolific career as a researcher and scientist.

Brief photobiomodulation history and definition

Photobiomodulation is the broad term applied to the therapeutic use of light at wavelengths and power levels that do not cause any damage to the tissue. In actual fact, the therapeutic benefits of light have been recognized for over one hundred years. In the early 1900s after the invention of the electric light bulb, electric light baths became popular to treat a wide range of diseases. Next came heliotherapy or the therapeutic use of sunlight, and clinics were constructed in mountainous areas to expose people to the sun. In the 1960s with the invention of the laser, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) became the next method to apply light to the body. Since the recent availability of LED devices, these have now become the method of choice to apply photobiomodulation. This shift happened due to the LED’s low cost, safety, and suitability for home use.

Due to the optical properties of tissue, red and near-infrared wavelengths are considered to be optimum for penetration into tissue. Nevertheless, blue, green and yellow light are still being investigated. Scientists are actively investigating the mechanisms of action of photobiomodulation at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels and new discoveries are still being made.

Transcranial Photobiomodulation

Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) describes the application of light to the head for a diverse range of brain disorders. LEDs are often employed to shine light onto the forehead, where there is no hair. Others use lasers because, they claim, they penetrate better through the scalp and skull. One of the hottest areas of debate is to what extent the light needs to penetrate into the actual brain tissue to be effective and to what extent there is a systemic effect based on light absorption by intervening tissues, or, indeed, by the whole body.

Benefits and application of transcranial photobiomodulation

Photobiomdulation for the brain is the most promising area because it could be beneficial for such a wide range of disorders.

Traumatic Brain Damage

The first group is traumatic brain damage. This can be caused by head injuries, strokes, or brain deprivation of oxygen after a heart attack or perinatal difficulties.

Degenerative Brain Disorders

The second group is degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s diseases, various forms of dementia, different viral infections, toxicity from chemotherapy or heavy metals.

Psychiatric Disorders

The third group is psychiatric disorders such as major depression, anxiety, insomnia, autism, and addiction.

Cognitive Enhancement

The fourth group is cognitive enhancement for aging individuals and even young healthy persons.

Benefits of Photobiomodulation

The potential benefits of photobiomodulation (PBM) are many and various. PBM has been shown to increase cerebral blood flow and oxygenation, which are decreased in nearly all brain disorders. Moreover, brain mitochondria are stimulated increasing the vital energy source for cells called adenosine triphosphate or ATP. PBM decreases inflammation.

Neuroinflammation is involved in the majority of brain diseases together with oxidative stress, which is also reduced by PBM. PBM increases the formation of new brain cells by stimulating neural stem cells. Furthermore, it can also stimulate the formation of new connections between existing brain cells. Finally, photobiomodulation can help to clear plaques formed from aggregated protein within the brain such as beta amyloid in Alzheimer’s.

Jay Sanguinetti joins us for his take on the subject of photobiomodulation. This is Prof. Sanguinetti’s second appearence on our blog. Originally we interviewed him in March. We called the blog post with our discussion “Jay Sanguinetti’s Research in tPBM, Non-invasive Treatment Modalities and Meditation“. You can read that blog post following this link.

Jay Sanguinetti 

What is photobiomodulation: photophysical and photochemical events

Over the past 40 years, researchers have shown that light in the visible or near infrared spectrum stimulates, regenerates, or heals physiological systems. Non-thermal and non-ionizing light elicits photophysical and photochemical events on biological tissues that have been relatively well-defined. This phenomenon, termed photobiomodulation, has led to therapeutic interventions in many domains. For example, photobiomodulation therapy reduces inflammation, pain perception, and enhances wound healing. Of course, if cells in the body respond positively to light, then cells in the brain may also be influenced by photobiomodulation.

In the past decade, researchers have begun showing that light can penetrate the skull to positively impact brain function. This method is called transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), and it has exciting possibilities. Thus, tPBM can be used as both a tool to study brain function, as well as a therapeutic intervention for brain diseases.

Photobiomodulation Applications: direction and promise

There are so many interesting directions for photobiomodulation. The therapeutic effects on the body are widespread. One interesting area is sports medicine. Light therapy enhances muscle repair and many athletes are beginning to see benefits of using light to help with recovery. You can image the athlete of the future with a light device at their home to assist in recovery from injury. However, my main interest in photobiomodulation is in brain health. We are facing an epidemic with the aging baby-boomer population. Between now and 2050, there will be almost 30 million “boomers” with Alzheimer’s disease, and we currently have no reliable treatments.

Several interesting studies are suggesting that photobiomodulation may be a potential intervention for this devastating disease. The idea is that near-infrared light (NIR) can stimulate some of the natural healing and regenerating processes in neurons. Furthermore, the same applies to the neuron support cells. Hence, the NIR helps the brain clean out the beta-amyloid plaques, reduces inflammation and helps the brain fight the disease.  This is truly exciting, and I hope to launch my own study with photobiomodulation and Alzheimer’s Disease soon.

Benefits of Photobiomodulation for Mindfulness

Our research focuses on using neurotechnology to enhance mindfulness training. Mindfulness has many health and cognitive benefits. Thus, we hope to find a way to accelerate the acquisition of mindfulness skills, so those health benefits can scale. Furthermore, mindfulness is a powerful intervention for many neurological and psychiatric disorders. For example, mindfulness is a potential intervention for addiction. We are currently working on a paradigm to combine photobiomodulation with mindfulness in order to help patients learn the mindfulness skills quicker. We already know that photobiomodulation can enhance working-memory, and we can learn from previous experiments. If photobiomodulation can help patients learn mindfulness skills quicker with a wearable photobiomodulation technology, then we have the potential to reduce suffering on a large scale. This is truly exciting.

Photobiomodulation is a safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive technology. Many of the diseases of the brain are hard to treat, because the brain is such a complex system. It is also difficult to directly modulate brain function. Photobiomodulation offers a potentially powerful technology to restore brain function and to selectively modulation brain activity. Almost all neurological and psychiatric disorders of the brain involve inflammation. Photobiomodulation may reduce brain inflammation, which means that it could be beneficial for many brain disorders. Importantly, the intervention, using photbiomodulation, can be done at home, which means that the technology could scale easily. This is truly exciting since many of the brain interventions must be applied in a doctor’s office under supervision, which is cost prohibitive for many patients.

In Conclusion

We thought that it would be very fitting to end this blog post with a very brief video clip of an interview with another scientists, Dr. Jeffrey Knight, PhD. In this short video Dr. Knight, a clinical neuropsychologist, speaks about photobiomodulation, its effects and about how to assess the benefits of transcranial photobimodulation. Take a look.

The post Photobiomodulation Therapy Discussion: Opinions from Leading Photobiomodulation Researchers first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The post Photobiomodulation Therapy Discussion: Opinions from Leading Photobiomodulation Researchers appeared first on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

This is a study that should be of great significance to the world of brain stimulation and photobiomodulation (PBM) research. We showed for the first time that inducing pulsed near infrared (NIR) light to the brain has real impact in modulating brain oscillations.
Lew Lim, Ph.D., CEO, Vilight Inc.

On April 19, 2019, a paper reporting the effect of the Neuro Gamma on brain oscillations was published by the high-impact Nature Scientific Reports. The double-blind controlled study entitled “Pulsed Near Infrared Transcranial and Intranasal Photobiomodulation Significantly Modulates Neural Oscillations: a pilot exploratory study”, described significant changes in brain waves and connectivity following single PBM sessions of only 20 minutes. The investigators were Reza Zomorrodi of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Genane Loheswaran and Lew Lim of Vielight Inc., and Abhi Pushparaj of Ironstone Product Development, all based in Toronto, Canada. Using near infrared light emitting diodes (LED), pulsing

Vielight Neuro Gamma in use during the study

at 40 Hz and focusing on the default mode network, the study presented a novel discovery in brain response. The study demonstrates that the power spectrum in the high frequency brain waves of alpha, beta and gamma was significantly increased, whereas the low frequency spectrum of delta and theta was decreased. There was also greater global inhibition and higher connectivity in the high frequency bands.

Scientists’ View

According to Dr. Lew Lim, CEO of Vielight, “This is a study that should be of great significance to the world of brain stimulation and photobiomodulation (PBM) research. We showed for the first time that inducing pulsed near infrared (NIR) light to the brain has real impact in modulating brain oscillations, the kinds that are highly desirable for improving brain functions. You could not achieve this level of effect without negative side effects using electrical and magnetic brain stimulation methods.”

Dr. Lim added, “The most important question that this study answers is whether PBM has any effect on the brain. This study shows clearly that not only does it have an effect, but also it induces response that is quite consistent. Furthermore, it dispels the often-held notion that high-powered lasers are desirable for significant response. There is a lot in the physiology in a living human that enables good response with the right PBM parameters. This makes PBM an effective and versatile modality.”

Lead investigator, Dr. Reza Zomorrodi says: “It was a pleasant surprise that a home-use device directing a safe level of light to the brain can produce this level of modulation within 20 minutes. It was important that the modulations were consistently achieved without any negative side effects. The modulations appear to be frequency dependent, producing outcomes that are desirable for potentially addressing a number of conditions. This study unveils the exciting potential of PBM as a potent, non-invasive brain stimulation modality.”
Dr. Lim further added, “We should now move forward to push the understanding of PBM further so that we can meaningfully improve people’s lives, especially in the areas where other treatments have failed”.

Dr. Lew Lim to Present at the 2019 Sharp Brains Virtual Summit

The 2019 SharpBrains Virtual Summit (May 7–9th, 2019) will feature over forty of the world’s top experts, innovators and investors working to improve brain health for all in light of growing neuroscience and digital tech. The Summit will take place online and attendees can attend all sessions via their computers. Dr. Lim will update the attendees on new developments in brain photobiomodulation and exciting prospects for the future of PBM. Frequent collaborator, Dr. Reza Zomorrodi, will be presenting his views on the brain research landscape at the conference.

Dr. Alison Smith Joins Vielight

Alison Smith, Ph.D., will be joining Vielight as the Manager for Performance Science and Research. She has years of experience in neuroscience, including EEG research. Dr. Smith was also an adjunct professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Waterloo. She completed a degree in Kinesiology and Athletic Therapy. Furthermore, she is a skilled medical writer and a regular meditator. Dr. Smith will be involved in Vielight initiatives in sports injuries, sports performance, cognitive performance and advanced meditation science.

Vielight to Exhibit at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting

The meeting, to be held on May 18-22 2019, is the largest gathering of psychiatry-related professionals held annually. Over 13,000 anticipated attendees from around the globe will be attending this event. Most of the attendees are physicians from psychiatric and other mental health disciplines, social workers and nurses. The meeting features hundreds of educational sessions and presentations on the latest research, including more than 400 scientific sessions.

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the Vielight technology which helps the brain. The Vielight personal PBM wearable devices will be available at the Vielight booth #1823.

Additionally, they will be able to discuss the various initiatives the company is undertaking to support psychiatry.

The post Breakthrough Revelation in Brain Patterns with Vielight Neuro Gamma first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The post Breakthrough Revelation in Brain Patterns with Vielight Neuro Gamma appeared first on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

Neuroimaging modalities like fMRI have begun to uncover the brain areas that are dysfunctional in disorders like depression. Non-invasive neuromodulation technologies like transcranial photobiomodulation allow us to target those brain areas for new treatments. tPBM is such an easy and cost-effective form of neuromodulation that the technology could be scaled rather quickly.

In late March 2019, we reached out to Prof. Jay Sanguinetti Ph.D. Prof. Sanguinetti’s research focuses on neurocognitive applications for clinical non-invasive treatment and neuroenhancement. Despite his full schedule, he agreed to answer a few questions and elaborate more on his groundbreaking work.

In his answers, Prof. Sanguinetti highlights the opportunities that photobiomodulation (PBM) and, specifically, transcranial photobimodulation (tPBM) present to modern neuroscientists. You will sense considerable potential, hope and pride for his field of research and his work in Sanguinetti’s words. Perhaps, these feelings come through because this researcher’s journey can lead to significant discoveries and advancement of non-invasive treatment modalities. Furthermore, applications for such potential discoveries can be numerous, as you will find out from the interview below.

Non-Invasive Transcranial Photobiomodulation

Q: It looks like your primary interest lies with research in neurocognitive applications. What attracts you to this field, and why do you think it is worth pursuing?

A: My interests are in two broad categories, clinical treatment, and neuroenhancement. Neuroimaging modalities like fMRI have begun to uncover the brain areas that are dysfunctional in disorders like depression. Non-invasive neuromodulation technologies like transcranial photobiomodulation allow us to target those brain areas for new treatments. This is exciting because it gives us a level of specificity that phrenological interventions cannot. I’m also interested in using non-invasive neuromodulation for neuroenhancement. For example, imagine that you could use a simple and safe device that allowed you to learn the piano or how to meditate twice as fast without any side effects. I think that would be worth-while to create something like that!

Importance of Research in Non-invasive Treatment Modalities

Meditators are wearing the Vielight Neuro devices

Q: In one of the descriptions of your interests, you prominently note the factor of non-invasive applications. Why non-invasiveness is so relevant and critical to your research? Why is it so important?

A: Non-invasive neuromodulation means affecting brain activity with a wearable device. That’s in contrast to invasive Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) where a neurosurgeon inserts an electrode directly into the brain. DBS works beautifully for disorders like Parkinson ’s disease and there is some evidence it works for depression and OCD.  Although DBS is highly efficacious, it has a major drawback: It requires brain surgery! So, the major advantage of non-invasive technologies is that they may allow us to gain the power of DBS to treat neurological and psychiatric disease, but without going through the trouble of brain surgery.

Q: You study various forms of non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation. How prominent is transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) with near infrared light (NIR) is in your work? What could you tell us about your research in the field of tPBM? What are the relevant applications for tPBM that you research supports?

A: I am new to the transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) field. I became interested in how various forms of energy – mechanical energy, electromagnetism, light – influence neural activity, and I came across the fascinating field of tPBM. We have now completed a series of experiments using PBM to enhance learning in a healthy population of undergraduate students. Our goal is to use tPBM for neuroenhancement during learning tasks. We predict that tPBM could be used during the acquisition of new skills, to learn new information, or to perform better on tasks that require focused attention.

We chose the Neuro Gamma device because it flickers the light at 40 Hz. Brain oscillations between 25 and 100 Hz are known as gamma oscillations and are related to higher-level cognitive functions like attention. They are proposed to be the neural correlate of consciousness. Currently, it is not known whether the flicker rate of tPBM can directly influence neural oscillations, but there are some promising pilot results that suggest that they might.  Therefore, we selected the Neuro Gamma in an attempt to enhance cognitive performance on a learning task.  If the experiment is successful, then the enhancement could be due to enhancement of cellular function (the basic mechanism of tPBM), due to the influence of neural oscillations, or both.

Q: These days you are conducting a very interesting study involving the military. In this study, you are employing Vielight devices to test their effect on your subjects. What can you tell us today, considering that the study is still ongoing?

A: The overall goal was to enhance learning on a threat-detection task. Participants received tPBM during the learning phase of the task with the hope of enhancing their ability to focus on the task or to learn from the stimulus cues.  Our participants are undergraduate subject at the University of New Mexico, but the project funding comes from the Department of Defense. This is a basic experiment to ask whether tPBM can enhance cognitive performance.  Our results are encouraging so far, but we have not submitted our research for publication so I am unable to divulge too much at this point

We are using a task that Dr. Vince Clark has previously used with another form of non-invasive neuromodulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Dr. Clark has previously shown that just 20 minutes of tDCS doubles the learning rate on the threat-detection task. This result has been replicated in his lab and others. Thus, we have a nice baseline and experimental paradigm to compare our tPBM results with.  One nice thing about using this paradigm is that we know how big the effect size is with tDCS. This fact will allow us to directly compare the size of our effect with tPBM.

Researching Effects of Transcranial Photobiomodulation on Meditation

Q: I understand that you are also looking into researching the effect of transcranial PBM on meditation. Can you describe your experience? What are you looking for? What do you think is the future of tPBM in meditation, and improvement on a person’s well-being in general? The latter is the subject to validation studies, of course.

A: Yes, this is a new area and we are actively planning several experiments.  So far, we have used tPBM in pilot experiments, so I am unable to say much.  Given that caveat, we have had several advanced meditators report positive effects with tPBM. The meditators claim that the device helps them to enter a focused, calm, or detached meditation state that is consistent with their practice. Based on these self-reports, we are designing experiments to validate these claims empirically.  If tPBM can help meditators benefit quicker from their practice, there will be many practical applications.

Meditation has many positive benefits, and scientific research supports them, including interventions for neurological and psychiatric disease.  However, it often takes immense effort and practice to reap the benefits of meditation. Thus, tPBM may help meditators experience the benefits of meditation quicker. This factor would lead to positive effects for the regular meditator as well as for the clinical populations.

One interesting thing is that several papers have shown that meditators enhance their gamma brain oscillations (that I discussed above) while they are meditating. In fact, the more someone meditates, the bigger the gamma effect becomes. This may be due to the way meditation enhances the control of attention, or how it generally alters consciousness. Both of which are related to gamma oscillations.

The Neuro Gamma should enhance mindful awareness

Since gamma oscillations are related to meditation and mindfulness, we predict that the Neuro Gamma should enhance mindful awareness. However, gamma oscillations occur in the range of about 25 Hz to 100 Hz or more. Thus, we asked Vielight for a tPBM device that would give us control over the flicker rate. We acquired such a device from Vielight and are currently testing frequencies from 1 Hz to 120 Hz on meditators.  So far, as you may expect, meditators like frequencies above 40 Hz, especially the higher frequencies. This is an exciting area of research, and we hope to validate the self-report claims soon.

Q: What are you next near-term and medium-term plans and hopes for your research in general and PBM research specifically?

A: If the research supports the use of tPBM for clinical applications and neuroenhancement, then I plan to make this a large part of my research agenda. tPBM is such an easy and cost-effective form of neuromodulation that the technology could be scaled rather quickly.  For example, imagine that tPBM could help meditators learn meditation skills quicker. We could use this could as a clinical intervention. We could create a package and give it out to clinics rather easily, which could help reduce suffering on a large scale. However, first things first, – we must do the science to know how effective tPBM combined with meditation is.

The post Jay Sanguinetti’s Research in tPBM, Non-invasive Treatment Modalities and Meditation first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The post Jay Sanguinetti’s Research in tPBM, Non-invasive Treatment Modalities and Meditation appeared first on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

Research suggests that transcranial Photobiomodulation (tPBM) could be helpful with long-term symptoms from repeated head injuries in professional contact sports. Two cases reported by Dr. Margaret Naeser, Boston University Medical School, conducted at the Boston VA Medical Center, support this. The subjects were retired professional football players suspected of having chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a subject of much discussion in the world of contact sports. Furthermore, in advanced cases, CTE can result in cognitive impairment, deep depression, uncontrolled behavior and even suicide.

Thus, the subjects in two cases where treated on-site at the Boston VA Medical Center, with PBM. The subjects presented improvements in the measured symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, sleep, executive function and memory. Follow-up data were available for the first, retired professional football player (age 65).  After three months without continued transcranial PBM treatments, he regressed. However, he recovered back to his original gains made with the in-office transcranial LED treatments (and some tests showed even better results), after resuming tPBM treatment at home using the Vielight Neuro Gamma device.

Poster Presentation at the IBIA World Congress 2019

Dr. Naeser will present her findings in a poster at the 13th World Congress on Brain Injury in Toronto held on March 13-16, 2019.
A plan is now in place to commence a randomized controlled study involving 20 subjects. The subjects will have to present at least six months of symptoms of mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study, to be led by Dr. Naeser, will involve using the Neuro Alpha as a treatment modality. Potential candidates with symptoms of TBI living in the Boston area can contact Vielight regarding participation in the study.

With reference to war veterans, Dr. Naeser elaborated, “If successful, this simple, inexpensive, non-invasive LED home treatment program could have wide-spread use among veterans and non-veterans across the country. Thus, this study is specifically designed to use transcranial near infrared (NIR) LED as an at-home treatment. It is expected to limit clinical visits and make the at-home NIR LED treatment viable as a long-term intervention. Transcranial LED therapy also holds promise for treating other central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Examples of such disorders are cognitive dysfunction from Gulf War Illnesses, anxiety, depression, PTSD, sports injury and neurodegenerative disorders. The list also includes early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and possible CTE.”

The Case of Larry Carr

Larry Carr was Case 1 in Dr. Naeser’s report, and he expressed his wish to share his story. Before earning his Ph.D., Larry was a hard-hitting Brigham Young Hall of Fame football player. 45 years later, he still holds the university’s record for the most tackles. Today researchers know that each tackle is like a car accident, and some hits approach 100 G’s. Larry did not know it then. In his career, Larry took an estimated 3,000 hits to the head, which caused injuries and brain damage. In 2011, he was diagnosed with possible CTE, a condition which can only be confirmed at a post-mortem examination.

With suspected CTE, he suffered daily from unstoppable spontaneous bouts of anger, anxiety, uncontrollable rage and stress that lasted for hours, sometimes, days. These waves were followed by feelings of shame and regret. Moreover, he had huge deficits in memory, executive function, and processing. Some individuals with CTE feel utter helplessness and hopelessness, some turn to drugs and suicide as a solution.

For Larry, things started to change, when he was a participant in Dr. Naeser’s study. In this study, he received 6 weeks of tPBM treatments in the office. There was pre- and post-testing with fMRI imaging and complete neuro-psych testing. After 2 months of no tPBM treatments, when his original gains started to fall off, and his symptoms returned – on his own, he obtained the Neuro Gamma, and treated at home for 3 months. Follow-up testing showed he improved, following the home treatments. He has continued to treat at home, on his own, for 14 months. He reports he is doing well.

Larry’s test results showed significant improvements in the complete range of neuro-cognitive tests that exceeded the expectation of the researchers. His results have been presented in three medical conferences.

Larry expressed: “The treatment using the Vielight Gamma and 633 Red saved both my life and my marriage”.

Vielight Participates in the International Brain Injury Association Congress 2019

Toronto will host the world’s largest international gathering of professionals working in the field of brain injury. This is the 13th International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) World Congress 2019. This year it takes place at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Toronto on March 13-16.
Among participants are over 1200 physicians, psychologists, neuropsychologists, therapists, social workers, case managers, nurses, legal professionals and advocates. They will have the opportunity to advance their knowledge in brain injury science, medicine and care. The knowledge base will cover issues from basic to clinical coma and to traumatic brain injury. Vielight has a booth at this conference to showcase the potential of its technology for brain injury and to discuss its use in related clinical studies.

Dr. Lew Lim, Founder of Vielight Inc., noted that, “… notwithstanding the emerging evidence, it’s a research area for us to determine how well transcranial PBM technology could help. Until we have undeniable evidence-based clinical support, one should assume that the positive outcomes are neither certain nor predictable. Vielight is supporting this research in a clinical study at Boston University.”

Vielight to Present at the BrainTech 2019

For the first time Vielight will be participating at the 4th International Brain Technology Conference, — BrainTech 2019, in Tel Aviv, Israel from March 4 to 5. This conference is the brain child of former President Shimon Peres. It’s mandate is to establish Israel as a leading international brain technology hub by creating the non-profit Israel Brain Technologies.

According to the promoters, “This conference gathers international leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and investors in brain technology development and showcases state-of-the-art, world-changing innovations and research in brain health”. Dr. Lew Lim, CEO and Founder of Vielight, will present the Vielight technology at this conference on March 4 at 13:45 PM. Dr. Lim adds: “It is an opportunity to
share the Vielight innovation at an international stage representing brain technology”.

Diana Gill Joins Vielight

Vielight welcomes Diana into the team to support our busy and growing operations.

Diana has an exceptional background and holds a double major in Forensic Science and Biology. Moreover, she is a trained registered nurse and holds diplomas in Canadian Medical Laboratory Assistance and Certificate in Ontario Society of Medical Technologist (OSMT). In addition, she has experience as a research analyst, as well as in data entry, shipping and customer service.

The post Transcranial PBM for Traumatic Brain Injuries: New Studies first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

The post Transcranial PBM for Traumatic Brain Injuries: New Studies appeared first on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.