Transcranial near-infrared laser therapy applied to promote clinical recovery in acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases.

ABSTRACT: One of the most promising methods to treat neurodegeneration is noninvasive transcranial near-infrared laser therapy (NILT), which appears to promote acute neuroprotection by stimulating mitochondrial function, thereby increasing cellular energy production. NILT may also promote chronic neuronal function restoration via trophic factor-mediated plasticity changes or possibly neurogenesis. Clearly, NILT is a treatment that confers neuroprotection or neurorestoration using pleiotropic mechanisms. The most advanced application of NILT is for acute ischemic stroke based upon extensive preclinical and clinical studies. In laboratory settings, NILT is also being developed to treat traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. There is some intriguing data in the literature

SUBMITTER: Lapchak PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3270070 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature