Has anybody heard or tried this home based treatment called “Vielight Neuro Gamma”?

https://www.seeker.com/led-light-therapy-could-radically-change-the-treatment-of-brain-diseas-2294712527.html

It will be interesting to see how well this works.  The best part of this treatment from a scientific perspective is the following:

In conclusion, PBM [photobiomodulation] exerted a pro-survival action through selectively activating the PI3K/Akt pathway and suppressing GSK3β/Bax pathway.

The phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt pathway is damaged in Alzheimer's disease.  This is the pathway that increases blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain, increases glucose transport in the brain (and thus increases energy production in the brain), leads to the regeneration of neurons and synapses, reduces the death of neurons, and improves neurotransmissions.  So maybe certain forms of light therapy will have some positive effect in the treatment of Alzheiemer's disease.

Here's a related trial that hasn't started yet.  Not sure where you are located, but a call to the researcher might be interesting. Maybe you could find out if your loved one is eligible or if there are other related trials in other parts of the country.  Of course not everyone gets to use the equipment in a trial. How much does it cost?  I think if I was in the same situation I might consider getting one...

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03405662

Hi Lane,

As I discussed with you before I use a VieLight led nose light on my mom every day for 25 min.  We are suppose to do it twice but she isn't thrilled it so I don't force it.  It cost $500.  The company wanted me to buy the more expensive head set but I wanted to try this first.  I read about this light in the AARP magazine.  

It's too early to determine if it is working.  Plus her Dr also put her on Exelon patch and I give her THCA CBD oil and THC gummies.

I think I'm going to try it on myself and see if I can do those advanced Suduko puzzles faster.

Both lasers and LEDs have historically been used on the head, but as time goes on, LED arrays are becoming increasingly the most popular method of delivering PBM to the head. NIR wavelengths in the 800–900 nm range are the most popular choice, but 1064 nm or 1080 nm has also been used. Some investigators combine a red wavelength such as 660 nm with the NIR. The precise placement of the LEDs on the head also varies. Since the forehead is without hair, which can block the light, it is a popular choice for tPBM. Some helmets and hoods are designed to deliver light covering the entire head. Figure 3 shows a selection of devices that have been used for tPBM.

Figure 3. Selection of tPBM devices that have been clinically tested in AD and other brain disorders. (A) Helmet from Photomedex Inc. (Philadelphia, PA, USA); (B) Helmet from THOR Photomedicine (Chesham, UK); (C) Lumiwave LED clusters from BioCare Systems (Parker, CO, USA); (D) Helmet from Cognitolite (Dublin, Ireland); (E) Neuro-alpha LED device from Vielight (Toronto, ON, Canada); (F) Device from ProNeuroLIGHT LLC (Phoenix, AZ, USA).

 Results include reduction of aggressive behaviour, better sleep, I've posted the results elsewhere,

and here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5568598/

 there are some excellent charts showing the improvements as well as comments from the participants family members,  

for the moment I wanted to mention that: 

One person who had access to a Vielight body pad prototype, wore that, with a 633 Red up one nostril, and the NIR(Near InfraRed) up the other nostril, and had the helmet on.  He/She wore all this gear for 25 minutes twice a day, 3 days a week.

Vielight posted the case study, as the individual re-gained 6 MMSE points, from 18 to 24. 

This doesn't happen. The results are so good, people are re-thinking what they think about the ineviability of decline.

NIR stands for Near Infra Red, its past red on the spectrum of light colours. Near Infra Red is a 'colour' of the light wave spectrum that is just beyond the ability of our human eyes to see. 

Other products use white light, like the ALZLife App for Ipads. 

Another company sells white lights that flash on and off at the 40 cycles per second that stimulates microglial cells to get back to work engulfing amlyoid plaques and then ditching them. Little christmas lights/ fairy light @ 40 USD and a little lamp for 90-odd USD.

Other companies sell Red light and Near Infra Red light products...... including LED pads for backpain.

I haven't found another company that offers Red light and NearInfraRed light flickering on and off at 40Hz, other than VieLight.  

IntraNasal (yep, a little light you clip inside your nostril) are about $500 USD, a full helmet is approx 3000 USD.

They are NOT sold as medical devices, they are sold as personal enhancement and concentration devices, for those studying and working out.

Cathie J,

Have you considered adding in a light that could just sit on a desk top, or some 40 Hz flickering fairy lights in the bedroom. It would only clear the visual cortex, but maybe a little is better than none at all?

What we need is for someone to build create 40Hz light amplifier for Near Infra Red Light, then add optional sound. I've seen 40Hz light. I've seen NIR light, but not both together unless its through  Vielight.

I am curious to see if they release a pad that one could lay on top of, so someone can receive treatment while they sleep.

Hi LD Daughter,

Technically everyone in the trial gets to use the equipment, it's only a question of whether its on or off.

Some Trials have the device on for only for 10 seconds as their control. You can imagine that might lead to confusing results if the control/placebo group does get results.

Thankfully a lot of the trials now are testing 4 weeks of therapy vs 8 weeks of therapy or Group A gets active treatment for the first 6 weeks then placebo and group b gets placebo treatment for the first 6 weeks then active treatment.

 And they compare what worked better

 Treatment first, then placebo.

or

Placebo first, then treatment

At the end of week 12, the mean scores improved to 20.00 (7.10) on the MMSE, and to 28.73 (18.85) on the ADAS-cog.

VieLight trial Results

The results are shown in Table 3 and Figs. 2 and 3. After 12 weeks of PBM treatments, there were significant improvements on the MMSE (mean +2.60 points, p < 0.003, two tailed) and the ADAS-cog (mean −6.73 points, p < 0.023, two tailed). At baseline, the mean (SD) for MMSE and ADAS-cog scores were 17.4 (6.84) and 35.47 (21.00), respectively. At the end of week 12, the mean scores improved to 20.00 (7.10) on the MMSE, and to 28.73 (18.85) on the ADAS-cog.

This reminds me of the "stimulator" ad we used to see on TV in the 90's. You touch it to your body and click it and it gives you a tiny electrical shock and your back or muscle pain or whatever you have is supposed to all go away. Fortunately the Federal Trade Commission sued the company, stating that there was no scientific evidence for their claims and the ads were taken off the air.

Now scammers are doing so called clinical trials, and unfortunately, clinicaltrials.gov is allowing them to get listed without informing the reader that these sponsors have not made new medical device applications with the FDA, and therefore they are not seeking FDA oversight or approval. These devices can not legally claim to cure or effectively treat a disease, but they claim it anyway. Further they advertise these clinical trials as a way of convincing viewers that they are effective.  It would seem that if they believed their devices really worked, they would try to get FDA approval.

Unfortunately the FDA, the FTC and clinicaltrials.gov are failing to monitor and warn the public about these unapproved medical devices, so they will continue to market their products and make their claims on the internet.

Though not exactly the same- the use of deep tissue laser (infrared light/photobiomodulation) is FDA approved as a pain treatment. It's been used by veterinarians for quite awhile.  I have just started treatment with a physical therapist for some pain issues. The prices are reasonable too. Here's a link to the manufacturer of the device. This treatment is available at many physical therapy practices.  Just want to give a shout out to the technology. Yes it needs more studies on Alzheimer's, but I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it outright. 

https://www.litecure.com/medical/laser-therapy/

Significant Improvement in Cognition in Mild to Moderately Severe Dementia Cases Treated with Transcranial Plus Intranasal Photobiomodulation: Case Series Report

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5568598/

Larry, you can't apply for a new Medical device license until you can prove that it works, that's what the clinical trials are for.

And so far, the results look pretty real to me. Also, there are instructables out there so people can build their own. (https://www.instructables.com/id/Hack-Your-Brain-With-Gamma-Light/)

For me, photobiomodulation checks several of the boxes needed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.  Here are some of them:

In addition, PBM has demonstrated the rather unique property of affecting cells in different states of health in different ways, essentially modifying the cell in whatever way might be necessary to promote its survival. For instance, in normal cells the absorption of light by CCO [cytochrome C oxidase] leads to an increase in MMP [mitochondrial membrane potential] above baseline and a short surge in ROS [reactive oxygen species] production. However, in cells where MMP is low due to existing oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, or inhibition of electron transport, light absorption leads to an increase of MMP towards normal levels and a decrease of ROS production. Similarly, the typical response to PBM in healthy cells is a brief increase in intracellular Ca2+. However, in cells that already contain excess Ca2+ (a phenomenon called excitotoxicity) PBM provokes the opposite reaction, in other words it lowers excessive levels of cellular calcium, thus promoting cell survival, lowering oxidative stress, and raising MMP back to normal. A range of neuroprotective approaches based on natural products are under investigation for treatment of AD.

Specifically, PBM could reduce peroxynitrite, while still preserving the positive effects of other isoforms of NO synthase, such as endothelial nitric oxygen synthase (eNOS), which is the species primarily responsible for the vasodilating effects of PBM.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6664299/

Good work, HowDoYouDeal.

My sense is that it is too early into the history of this technique to give a definitive answer to this very good question, but I will try to keep following the research.

I certainly will do so, Dusty.  I will be interested in seeing the trial results.  Sometimes like is the case with aromatherapy more is neither better nor worse.  Maybe this will be the case with photobiomodulatin as well, but I am not sure yet.

For aromatherapy, direct inhalation is likely better than a diffuser, as more of the beneficial compounds make it to the brain that way.  For my mother, we started with rosemary essential oil (after a month, she asked me why I had been giving it to her smell every day for a month).  We later added some other essential oils, including bay laurel, clove, thyme, oregano, and sweet orange.  She would sniff two or three of these oils under each nostrils for a couple of seconds each morning.  She became better at recognizing objects, places (such as her home), faces, and names, she could recite the alphabet and count numbers, she slept better at night, was more comfortable at showering, and stopped having delusions, and was more alert and aware.  Her short-term memory did not approve much, she was not much more lucid in her speech, and she continued to sleep a lot during the day.  Overall, though, her quality of life and condition improved somewhat.

The mostly stimulating essential oils we used via aromatherapy sometimes increase anxiety in some people.  At night relaxing essential oils such as lavender, rose, sweet orange, and lemon balm may be helpful.

Best wishes to you and to your family, Dusty.

I read somewhere about putting the oil on a fabric broach. Though I'd think a pin, or even a magnetic pin could be very dangerous.

Maybe a bit of fabric sewn onto a bracelet.  Maybe dab on a scrunchie and wear on the wrist?

For Dusty,

I am including this because it mentions a ten day study with 2 hours of light therapy, one in the morning and one in the evening.

 *                     *

 Findings

In a brief, independent pilot study conducted without Cognito Therapeutics, 10 days of 40 Hz light therapy did not affect amyloid load, as measured by PiB PET, in 10 AD patients (Ismail et al., 2018).

In April, 2018, Cognito Therapeutics began a Phase 1 trial called Overture to evaluate combined auditory and visual GENUS in 60 people with AD or mild cognitive impairment due to AD. Participants receive one hour of GENUS, or sham treatment, daily for six months, with a follow-up visit one month later to assess safety. The primary outcome is ADAS-Cog score, with amyloid imaging as a secondary outcome. The trial takes place at six sites in the U.S.

In May 2019, a second Phase 1 study called Etude began comparing dosing paradigms for auditory and visual GENUS in 20 people with AD or mild cognitive impairment due to AD.

 These include one hour once per day, one hour twice per day,****(bold and underline added by ME)****one hour every other day, and 30 or 120 minutes twice per day.

  The primary outcomes are amyloid PET and safety; secondary, ADAS-Cog.

In November 2018, a third study called Flicker started evaluating the tolerability of a combined audio-visual stimulation for one hour per day on 10 people with AD. Five participants will receive eight weeks of GENUS; five will receive four weeks of no intervention followed by four weeks of intervention. These three trials are set to end in the fall of 2019.