Durham University created a specially equipped light-beaming helmet for the research project. For the study, beams of invisible waves of light were focused on healthy brains. And the result is improved memories and thought processing functions.
The helmet costs $10,000 to develop. It works by forcing brain cells to boost their energy levels. People with dementia usually suffer from low neurological energy levels. And this encourages blood flow to the brain and enhances oxygen.
The research project included 14 healthy people, aged 45 and over, from the UK. They had treatment over a four-week period. A control group of 13 people was using a dummy light-beaming helmet.
The scientists measured the memory, verbal, and motor skills of the participants in both groups before and after the treatment period. And they saw significant improvements in motor function (finger tapping), memory performance, delayed memory, and brain processing speed, in healthy people who had received the infrared light.
There were no reported adverse effects.
