Near-infrared light as a possible treatment option for Parkinson's disease and laser eye injury

Studies in our laboratory demonstrate that the action spectrum for stimulation of cytochrome oxidase activity and cellular ATP parallels the near-infrared absorption spectrum of cytochrome oxidase and that 660-680 nm irradiation upregulates cytochrome oxidase activity in cultured neurons. Treatment with nearinfrared light augments cellular energy production and neuronal viability following mitochondrial injury linking the actions of red to near-infrared light on mitochondrial metabolism in vitro and cell injury in vivo. NIR light treatment represents an innovative therapeutic approach for disease processes in which mitochondrial dysfunction is postulated to play a role including Parkinson's disease, laser eye injury and Age-related macular degeneration.