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Imagine a simple flickering light not only altering the activity in your brain but potentially combating a devastating disease like Alzheimer’s.
At MIT, researchers are exploring this astonishing possibility, discovering how carefully timed strobe lights could stimulate brain waves, reduce harmful protein buildup, and even awaken the brain's natural defense systems. While it may sound like science fiction, the findings are paving the way for groundbreaking treatments that could reshape how we understand and address neurodegenerative disorders.
Key Takeaways
- Gamma Waves and Brain Health: MIT researchers found that flickering lights stimulate gamma waves, which are associated with improved memory and cognitive processing, potentially restoring brain function.
- Reduced Harmful Proteins: The light therapy significantly reduced amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles, both major contributors to Alzheimer’s progression, in animal studies.
- Microglia Activation: The pulsating light reactivated microglia, the brain’s immune cells, to clear toxic debris and reduce inflammation, offering a new avenue for treatment.
The Flicker Effect: Rewiring the Brain for Better Health
Research on the brain continues to produce unexpected findings, including a groundbreaking achievement where scientists have, for the first time, used non-invasive techniques.
An example of what I’m talking about is a study at MIT that involved flashing lights into animals' eyes. The research shows that timing the flickering of the lights at just the right speed may profoundly change the workings of the brain.
It sounds far-fetched, but MIT scientists now plan research to see how these strobe lights work on the human brain. They think the strobe-induced changes could be useful in dealing with Alzheimer’s.
Lights, Action...
According to the researchers, the pulsating light causes the brain to produce brain waves called gamma waves. These waves slow the production of harmful beta-amyloid – damaging protein fragments that build up during Alzheimer’s – as well as stimulate a response from microglia, the immune cells that are responsible for consuming and eliminating beta-amyloid proteins.
Now, the simple fact of reducing beta-amyloid hasn’t been found to help folks with Alzheimer’s. That’s a potential flaw in this treatment – and in a great many other dementia treatments in development.
So far, when drug companies have tested drugs designed to lower the level of amyloid in the brain, the results have been worthless – the drugs haven’t restored memory or cognitive oomph to Alzheimer’s patients.
But the fact that gamma waves may revitalize microglia – the immune cells that wander the brain and protect neurons – does offer some hope that the MIT scientists with their flickering lights may be on to something. A growing number of experts suspect that inflammation in the brain involving dysfunctional microglia is a key component of Alzheimer’s.
Light Gets Gamma Rays Going, Literally Alters Tissue
Gamma waves are waves of electrical activity in the brain that occur 30 to 90 times per second. They have been associated with better memory, the efficient processing of sensory information in the brain, and the ability to keep your mental attention focused. And other studies have shown that gamma waves occur less frequently in people with Alzheimer’s.
The researchers found that stimulation with a properly timed flickering light for an hour a day for a week got the brain’s gamma waves rolling while reducing the level of amyloid plaque and free-floating amyloid in the brain’s visual cortex (where the brain interprets what the eyes see). Tau protein -- tangles of harmful proteins that interrupt the function of neurons -- also shrank.1
At the same time, the brain’s microglia, which secrete toxic, inflammatory substances during Alzheimer’s, started behaving more normally and got back to their job of clearing up toxic debris in the brain. Microglia also seemed to be resuming their task of keeping neurons in better working order.
While the initial tests only affected the brain’s visual cortex, the MIT researchers think that adjusting their strobe lights properly can expand the benefits to other parts of the brain.
Human Tests are Next
As Vikaas Sohal, who teaches neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco, tells Atlantic magazine – "Many neuroscientists, including myself, have traditionally thought about gamma oscillations (waves) as having a role in how neurons communicate and process information. We haven't really thought about how they could change the biology of cells. Put it another way: If gamma oscillations are part of the software of the brain, this study suggests that running the software can alter the hardware."2
Of course, the MIT people have not yet completed their tests on people. And the researchers warn that nobody should try this at home. Unless you time the lights exactly right, the flickers in your eyes could be harmful instead of helpful.
But when studies are done on humans, I’ll report the results. At the same time, research on various forms of light therapy suggests that it can aid in resetting circadian rhythms and improving cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
Summary
MIT researchers have uncovered a fascinating way to combat Alzheimer’s using flickering lights to stimulate gamma brain waves. This groundbreaking approach reduces harmful protein buildup, such as amyloid plaques and tau tangles, while reactivating microglia, the brain’s immune cells. By restoring normal microglia function, the treatment may reduce inflammation and protect neurons. Although human trials are still needed, this discovery opens a promising avenue for addressing neurodegenerative diseases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are gamma waves, and why are they important?
Gamma waves are high-frequency brain waves associated with memory, attention, and sensory processing. Reduced gamma activity has been linked to Alzheimer’s.
How do flickering lights affect the brain?
Properly timed flickering lights stimulate gamma waves, reduce harmful protein buildup, and activate immune cells in the brain.
Can light therapy cure Alzheimer’s?
While promising, this research is still in early stages. Human trials are needed to determine its effectiveness and safety.
Is this treatment available to the public?
Not yet. The technique is experimental and requires precise timing, so it’s unsafe to try without professional oversight.
What’s the next step in the research?
Human trials will be conducted to confirm whether the results seen in animal studies can be replicated safely and effectively in people.
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