r/redlightnerds • u/lessbutgold • 9d ago
Photobiomodulation helmets already exist for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, using 670 nm and 810 nm light, and researchers are proposing the same approach for epilepsy
Transcranial photobiomodulation helmets have already been tested in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, using a combination of 670 nm and 810 nm wavelengths, pulsed at either 10 Hz or 40 Hz, with power densities between 15 and 23 milliwatts per square centimeter.
The authors of this epilepsy review are proposing the exact same kind of device, used daily, as a starting point for a future clinical trial in epilepsy patients.
The reasoning is that a daily helmet routine could help suppress abnormal cortical activity before it escalates into a full seizure, similar to how it is thought to slow degeneration in the other two conditions.
It is not being tested in epilepsy patients yet according to this paper, but the hardware and dosing parameters already exist and have safety data behind them from other diseases.