Laser therapy improves short-term memory

09/12/2022

Health diary editor

This technology will be useful for patients with ADHD and other attention and concentration problems.
[Imagem: Chenguang Zhao – 10.1126/sciadv.abq3211]

Transcranial photomodulation

Laser therapy, already widely used against pain, especially by dentists, has proven effective in improving short-term memory.

Scientists from the Universities of Birmingham (UK) and Beijing Normal (China) have shown that surface light therapy – non-invasive – can improve short-term or working memory by up to 25%.

The treatment, called transcranial photomodulation, is applied to an area of ​​the brain known as the right prefrontal cortex. This area is widely recognized as important for working memory.

In their experiment, the team showed how working memory improved among research participants after just a few minutes of treatment. They were also able to track changes in brain activity using electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring during treatment and testing.

Previous studies have already shown in laboratory animals that laser light therapy improves working memory, while studies in humans have shown that transcranial photomodulation therapy can improve accuracy, speed reaction time, and improve higher-order functions, such as attention and emotion.

But this is the first study to confirm a link between laser technology and working memory in humans.

Memory laser therapy

During the experiment, volunteers who received other treatment variations were able to remember between 3 and 4 of the test objects. Those who underwent the laser treatment were able to remember between 4 and 5 things.

The team believes this is an improvement enough to treat some medical conditions.

d said Donghui Lee.

Researchers still don’t know exactly why the treatment produces positive effects on working memory, or how long the effects will last, so they plan more experiments to investigate these aspects.