Red and near infrared lights – can they help degenerative neurological diseases?
The main reason for this blog,
This is very late notice, but on 29 April (yes, tomorrow), University of Arizona is hosting a zoom event which will be brilliant. It is about biophotons, those tiny packets of light that our brains use for communication.
The speakers are superb, with neuroanatomist Prof John Mitrofanis in discussion with two physicists, Prof Paul Davies and Prof Sarah Walker.
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The online conference, Insight into Parkinson’s, has been an annual event for eight years now. It was conceived by the team at PD Warrior, and brings together a range of speakers.
I’m honoured to be on the speaker panel this year, and I’ll be talking about the way transcranial photobiomodulation (red and near infrared lights on the brain) can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
The conference lasts for three days, 11th – 13th April 2025, and the speaker variety is wide and interesting. It is well worth joining in.
There has been much work in Australia trying to get politicians to agree to a national plan for Parkinson’s disease.
On Australian radio this morning, there was an interview with a retired federal politician with Parkinson’s disease, John “Wacka” Williams and a neurologist.
Wacka was diagnosed in 2016 and I made him a bucket light hat not long after he went public about his diagnosis. Wacka has also met with the expert behind the research into Parkinson’s disease, Prof John Mitrofanis, and he is a beneficiary of Prof Mitrofanis’s superb work.
Wacka continues to use his light device every day and as he says during this interview that his disease progression is very slow and that he lives a full and busy life, and he is still on the farm.
Here’s a link to the interview. It lasts 12 minutes.
The Duo Coronet is based on Prof Mitrofanis’s research and I’ve had consistent reports from Coronet wearers that improvements are made in movement and non-movement symptoms and many tell me that their disease progression has slowed down.
And don’t forget that you can make your own light device, the same type as I made for Wacka eight years ago. Check out the DIY menu for further information.
When Rajeev Chaurasia’s father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Rajeev put his creativity and DIY skills to use in making a Cossack light hat for him.
Rajeev has devised new ways to style it and make it easier to construct.
This marvellous video – the work of Rajeev, his daughter Renee and his friend Karl Mascarenhas – shows some very clever ideas for making a Cossack light hat at home. Rajeev, Renee and Karl have kindly given permission to the blog to host their video.
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Isn’t that a fabulous phrase?
It comes from a 2020 journal article called The wrinkling of time: Ageing, inflammation, oxidative stress, and the circadian clock in neurodegeneration.
The article discusses the impact of ageing on the circadian rhythm. Having a healthy circadian rhythm ensures that our body functions properly over the 24 hour daily cycle. If the circadian rhythm goes awry, then the mind and body also are metaphorically wobbly. Sleep is badly affected, the immune system goes haywire leading to increased inflammation in the body and brain. Life is made more difficult and the risk of dementia increases.
Continue reading ““The wrinkling of time””
Red lights on the brain 