High Frequency Pulsed Near Infrared Light: A novel approach for preventing neurodegeneration

Overview

Dementia effects almost One-Million Canadians, and has no cure, with current treatments having severe side-effects. This experiment aimed to explore the effectiveness of high-frequency pulsed Near-Infrared-Light in improving markers of cognition in seniors, aiming to target tau-protein accumulation, a major driver of Cognitive-Impairment. Using the Vielight-Neuropro2 LED helmet, 12 participants had Near-Infrared-light applied during 15, 23-minute sessions, with pulse frequency increasing up from 10Hz to 1000Hz. This frequency has been shown in-vitro to have beneficial effects on microtubule stability, and the protocol hasn't been tested on humans, making it a prime candidate for further testing. The results showed large improvements in physical tests and cognitive-assessments, such as the MoCA, paired with smaller changes in qEEG markers of cognition. Overall, High-Frequency pulsed Near-Infrared-light is a promising tool with beneficial effects on some markers of cognition, however more studies are necessary to evaluate its efficacy in preventing the onset of dementia.

Awards (1)

• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Health & Wellness

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