Can Exposure to Light Help Fight Dementia?

Increasing numbers of studies suggest light therapy could be an important and safe treatment for dementia

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Degenerative neurological disorders, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, can significantly affect an individual’s cognitive abilities and overall quality of life. While there is currently no commonly prescribed cure for these conditions, researchers are exploring new treatments that may help slow the conditions’ progression or alleviate specific symptoms.

One treatment that has shown promise is light therapy.

Light May Heal

Phototherapy, also called light therapy or photobiomodulation, involves using specific wavelengths of light to stimulate cells in the body. A meta-analysis published in Brain and Behavior in April looked at 12 controlled trials and concluded that phototherapy “may be one of the most promising non-pharmacological interventions for improving core symptoms of dementia.”