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Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) team of researchers, including biomedical engineers and neurosurgeons, has found a new light-based technique that can stimulate specific cells in the brain to alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.
According to a recent study published in the journal Science Advances, the novel technique uses near-infrared light, which can penetrate deep in the brain's tissue, to activate specific cells that can control brain activities responsible for movement and other functions.
The researchers tested the method on rats with Parkinson's disease-like symptoms and those with seizures. They implanted tiny optical fibers into the affected areas of the animals' brains and delivered the light regularly for weeks.
The results showed that the rats' motor skills improved significantly, and they displayed fewer signs of tremors, stiffness, and other Parkinson's symptoms. The technique also significantly reduced seizures in the other rats.
The researchers said that the light-based approach could offer unique advantages over current Parkinson's treatments, such as medications and deep brain stimulation (DBS). The current treatments have side effects, limited efficacies, and require invasive surgeries.
The new technique using light, on the other hand, is non-invasive, easy to administer, and could be adjustable and personalized to the patients' needs as it targets specific affected brain regions.
According to the study's co-author, Joshua Burkhart, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at WashU, the team's approach could become a potent tool for treating other neurological conditions that currently have limited treatment options.
"Our method could be applied to other neurological disorders such as epilepsy, chronic pain, or headaches, all of which have been shown to benefit from neuromodulation," Burkhart said in a statement.
The researchers said that they are now planning to test the technique on larger animals with more sophisticated brain structures and eventually human subjects.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at WashU.