According to a new study, low level light therapy (LLLT) offers a promise to improve neuronal cell function in patients with Parkinsons disease (PD).
PD is a chronic and progressively disabling neurodegenerative brain disease that impairs motor control, speech and other functions.
According to the National Parkinson Foundation, an estimated 60,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in the U.S. The condition usually develops after the age of 65, but 15 percent of those diagnosed are under 50.
Scientists from the University of Virginia Health System conducted an in vitro study which showed that a single, brief treatment with a 810 nm low level, near-infrared laser increased the velocity of mitochondrial movement in cells taken from patients with sporadic PD, speeding it up to levels comparable to cells from healthy individuals in the same age group.
“Our findings provide early-stage confirmation that LLLT has the potential to improve neuronal function in many patients with PD and other neurological diseases,” says lead researcher Dr. Patricia A. Trimmer, associate professor of neurological research at the UVA School of Medicine.
Although genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of Parkinsons, individuals may reduce their risk of this and other diseases by exercising regularly, following a proper diet and taking nutritional supplements. 