Brain waves are oscillating electrical voltages in the brain, measuring just a few millionths of a volt. At the root of all our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are the communication between neurons within our brains. Brainwaves are produced by synchronized electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating with each other.

Brainwaves are detected using sensors placed on the scalp. They are divided into bandwidths to describe their functions but are the best thought of as a continuous spectrum of consciousness, from slow, loud, and functional — to fast, subtle, and complex.

It is a handy analogy to think of brainwaves as musical notes — the low-frequency waves are like a deeply penetrating drum beat, while the higher frequency brainwaves are more like a subtle high pitched flute. Like a symphony, the higher and lower frequencies link and cohere with each other through harmonics.

Our brainwaves change according to what we’re doing and feeling. When slower brainwaves are dominant, we can feel tired, slow, sluggish, or dreamy. The higher frequencies are dominant when we feel wired or hyper-alert.

The descriptions that follow are only broad descriptions — in practice, things are far more complex, and brainwaves reflect different aspects of different locations in the brain.

Brainwave speed is measured in Hertz (cycles per second), and they are divided into bands delineating slow, moderate, and fast waves.

Infra-low (

Infra-Low brainwaves (also known as Slow Cortical Potentials) are thought to be the basic cortical rhythms that underlie our higher brain functions. Very little is known about infra-low brainwaves. Their slow nature makes them difficult to detect and accurately measure, so few studies have been done. They appear to play a major role in brain timing and network function.

Delta (δ) Waves (0.5 TO 4HZ) — Sleep

Delta brainwaves are slow, loud brainwaves (low frequency and deeply penetrating, like a drumbeat). They are generated in deepest meditation and dreamless sleep. Delta waves suspend external awareness and are the source of empathy. Healing and regeneration are stimulated in this state, and that is why deep restorative sleep is so essential to the healing process.

Theta (θ) Waves (4 TO 8 HZ) — Deeply Relaxed, Inward-focused

Theta brainwaves occur most often in sleep but are also dominant in deep meditation. Theta is our gateway to learning, memory, and intuition. In theta, our senses are withdrawn from the external world and focused on signals originating from within. Twilight states that we normally only experience fleetingly as we wake or drift off to sleep. In theta, we dream; vivid imagery, intuition, and information beyond our normal conscious awareness. It’s where we hold our ‘stuff,’ our fears, troubled history, and nightmares.

Alpha (α) Waves(8 TO 12 HZ) — Very relaxed, Passive Attention

Alpha brainwaves are dominant during quietly flowing thoughts and in some meditative states. Alpha is ‘the power of now,’ being here, in the present. Alpha is the resting state of the brain. Alpha waves aid overall mental coordination, calmness, alertness, mind/body integration, and learning.

Beta (β) Waves(12 TO 35 HZ) — Anxiety dominant, Active, External Attention

Beta brainwaves dominate our normal waking state of consciousness when attention is directed towards cognitive tasks and the outside world. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, present when alert, attentive, engaged in problem-solving, judgment, decision making, or focused mental activity.

Beta brainwaves are further divided into three bands; Lo-Beta (Beta1, 12–15Hz) can be thought of as a ‘fast idle’ or musing. Beta (Beta2, 15–22Hz) is the high engagement or actively figuring something out. Hi-Beta (Beta3, 22–38Hz) is a highly complex thought, integrating new experiences, high anxiety, or excitement. Continual high-frequency processing is not a very efficient way to run the brain, as it takes a tremendous amount of energy.

Gamma (γ) Waves(35 TO 42 HZ) — Concentration

Gamma brainwaves are the fastest brain waves (high frequency, like a flute) and relate to the simultaneous processing of information from different brain areas. Gamma brainwaves pass information rapidly and quietly. The most subtle of the brainwave frequencies, the mind has to be quiet to access gamma.

Gamma was dismissed as ‘spare brain noise’ until researchers discovered it was highly active in states of universal love, altruism, and the ‘higher virtues.’ Gamma is also above the frequency of neuronal firing, so how it is generated remains a mystery. It is speculated that gamma rhythms modulate perception and consciousness and that a greater presence of gamma relates to expanded consciousness and spiritual emergence.

New Trial to Test Brain Wave Stimulation as Alzheimer’s Preventative

With a new $1.8 million grant from the Part the Cloud-Gates Partnership Grant Program of the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Massachusetts General Hospital are launching a new clinical trial to test whether stimulating a key frequency of brain waves with light and sound can prevent the advance of Alzheimer’s disease pathology even before volunteers experience symptoms such as memory impairment.

“Because Alzheimer’s disease leads to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, the best time for intervention may be before those symptoms even begin,” said Dr. Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience and director of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT. “We are hopeful that our safe, non-invasive approach of sensory stimulation of 40Hz gamma brain rhythms can have a preventative benefit for patients. We are very grateful to Part the Cloud-Gates Partnership Grant Program for their support in funding rigorous research to test this exciting possibility.”

In extensive testing in Tsai’s lab with multiple mouse models of Alzheimer’s, the light and sound stimulation technique, called Gamma ENtrainment Using Sensory Stimuli (GENUS), improved cognition and memory, prevented neurodegeneration, and reduced amyloid and tau protein buildups. The research showed that increasing 40Hz brain rhythm power and synchrony stimulated the brain’s immune cells and blood vessels to clear out the toxic proteins. Early results from human testing at MIT show that GENUS is well tolerated and increases 40Hz power and synchrony, just like in the mice.

The new study, conducted in collaboration with neurologist Dr. Keith Johnson at MGH, will enroll 50 volunteers aged 55 or older who show signs of amyloid protein plaque buildup in PET scans but remain cognitively normal. Experimental volunteers will receive an hour of GENUS light and sound stimulation in their homes daily for a year. At regular checkups, the team will monitor GENUS's effect on amyloid buildup via PET scans as well as other biomarkers such as tau and for changes in cognition, sleep, structural and functional MRI, and other indicators of brain function and health.

The trial will be double-blinded, randomized, and controlled, meaning that some volunteers will be exposed to non-GENUS light and sound during the trial to provide a non-treatment comparison group. To ensure that bias does not influence the results, neither the volunteers nor the experimenters will know which group's volunteers are.

References

https://brainworksneurotherapy.com/what-are-brainwaves

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Dr. Claudia Aguirre which has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from USC and travels the world lecturing on a broad range of topics from neuroscience to skin care has been researching the power of the skin and its connection with the brain.

The skin is highly innervated and intricately connected to the brain and central nervous system, just as other sensory organs are. Dr. Claudia Aguirre is discovering that the skin has a lot of neuro potential, or neuroplasticity, that has gone unrecognized. For example, just as our eyes have receptors that transduce light photons into signals to the brain that we process as vision, we’re discovering that our skin also has light receptors. Although we don’t yet know how they work, we speculate that they might be signaling the brain to make systemic changes that affect the full nervous system. Similarly, olfactory receptors in the hair follicles, just as we do in the nose.

Examples

Another example is touch, for which our skin is the primary sense organ. Skin is also our largest organ, which gives us a clue as to how important touch is. Different receptors in the skin can tell us not only whether what we touch is hot or cold, rough or smooth. Skin can even sense the intention behind the touch. A gentle touch feels much different than an aggressive one. We can tell whether the person giving us a massage is paying attention or whether they’re distracted. Moreover, different kinds of touch elicit different biochemical and hormonal responses, which have systemic results. A hug or kiss stimulates the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, through the bloodstream, while a punch or shove will release adrenaline and cortisol. All of these capabilities are what we say by the hidden brain in the skin.

Nervous System

The skin is connected to the nervous system; it’s connected to the endocrine system. The skin is impacted by our emotional states and, conversely, our skin can impact how we feel about ourselves. Cultural stress and anxiety can trigger or aggravate many skin conditions—from acne to eczema to herpes, psoriasis, and rosacea. Conversely, a disfiguring skin condition can trigger stress, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Chronic, generalized anxiety can create chronic inflammation and exacerbate inflammatory skin conditions, such as the ones mentioned previously. Chronic stress can result in chronic anxiety, hypervigilance, poor sleep, and a whole cascade of effects resulting in a constant breakdown of tissues and organs, including the skin. There’s a whole new field of medicine being developed called psychodermatology, which is the study and treatment of the psychological component of skin conditions. Better understanding of the neuropotential of skin also opens the possibility of whole new avenues of treatment with light therapy for many of our chronic conditions.

In Kaiyan Medical we have understood that neuroscience should absolutely be part of the conversation about skincare and beauty because the brain and the skin are intimately connected. Skincare is important not only for the skin, but also the brain. That's why we keep developing light therapy devices for skin and brain. In Kaiyan we always recommend to listen for all the little signs that your skin tells you that you tend to ignore. You get a rash, and you brush it off: “Maybe it’s just dry out. Maybe I need to switch creams.” But if it occurs repeatedly, you need to look more closely and ask, “What could my skin be trying to tell me?” Are you repressing emotions? Is there a relationship issue you’re avoiding? Is there some other life circumstance that’s “gotten under your skin”? The body has a wisdom we should listen to.

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Margaret Jarrett was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago. And although she was bothered by many of the symptoms that commonly afflict people living with Parkinson’s — resting tremor, uncertain gait, and terrible nightmares — the thing that bothered her the most was the loss of her sense of smell. An avid gardener, she took great pride in her roses but being unable to inhale their perfumed scent really got her down.

“You take something like your sense of smell for granted,” Jarrett, 72, said. “You don’t realize how precious something is until it’s gone.”

Parkinson’s disease combines movement disorders, including resting tremors, muscle rigidity, impaired balance, and movement slowness. It can also cause neurological problems such as depression, insomnia, memory loss, and confusion.

Its cause is unknown, but it is associated with dopamine depletion and destruction of neurons in the brain's basal ganglia region.

The current mainstay of treatment for Parkinson’s disease involves physical therapy and medications that act to increase dopamine levels in the brain. One relatively new therapy for Parkinson’s is exposure to infrared light.

Dr. Ann Liebert, co-ordinator of photomolecular research at the Australasian Research Institute, has been exploring the idea of using infrared light to modulate the gastrointestinal tract’s microbiome in humans.

The gut’s microbiome — composing trillions of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa from hundreds of different species that normally inhabit our gastrointestinal tract — has come under increasing scientific attention over the past decade, with links being established between the microbiome and several conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Several studies have also observed that the gut microbiome is markedly altered in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Fecal microbiota transplantation can have a protective effect in animal models of Parkinson’s.

The reason for this is unknown. However, an interesting observation is that another common pathology seen in Parkinson’s disease is the accumulation of misfolded proteins, called Lewy bodies, in the brain. It has been shown that certain sensory cells of the gut contain these same proteins.

Researchers have hypothesized that abnormal forms of the protein could travel from the gut to the brain through the vagus nerve, a phenomenon observed in animal models of Parkinson’s. Further support for this theory comes from findings that people who have had a surgical vagotomy — where branches of the nerve are cut — have a lower lifetime risk of developing Parkinson’s.

“We know that infrared light can reduce Parkinson’s symptoms and offer protection to brain cells. So, we wanted to test if it could modulate the gut’s microbiome as well,” Liebert said.

Provisional results from the first half dozen Adelaide participants, including Margaret Jarrett, have been promising.

“The six patients . . . showed an increase by up to 20 percent in the favorable microbiome that is associated with obesity reduction and short-chain fatty acid production. And the bacteria associated with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and insulin resistance were all decreased,” said Hosen Kiat, a professor of cardiology at Macquarie University, who oversaw the trial.

“For the last three years, I haven’t been able to smell flowers,” Jarrett said. “But several weeks into the trial, I started to smell my roses, daphnes, and gardenias again, and it was wonderful.”

Another participant, Barry Weldon, 70, had a similar experience. “My sense of smell improved significantly,” he said. “One day, I walked into the house, and for the first time in a long time, I could actually smell the soup my wife was cooking.”

Ron Till, 68, had an even more dramatic improvement. “The trial gave me the ability to sleep again,” he said. “It was amazing.”

Till’s neurologist cautioned him not to get his hopes up before the trial but changed his mind when he saw the results. “He told me it was voodoo medicine and probably wouldn’t work,” Till recalled. “But after the trial, I went back for my three-monthly assessment with him, and he said to me, ‘You’re actually testing better than when you first started with me ten years ago.’”

Retired geologist Sean Kennedy, 76, also experienced an improvement in his coordination and balance. “My juggling skills have improved,” he said.

In a review published in Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, Liebert and her co-authors acknowledge that while the exact mechanism by which light therapy alters the microbiome is unknown, there is definite potential in light therapy.

“The ability of PBM [light therapy] to influence the microbiome (if proven to apply to humans) will allow an additional therapeutic route to target multiple diseases, including cardiovascular disease and Parkinson’s disease, many of which have thus far eluded effective treatment approaches,” the paper concludes.

Kiat is excited by light therapy’s potential. “If we can create non-­invasively a metabolically healthier microbiome through this extremely cheap and easy way, then inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative diseases should be positively influenced,” he said.

Gold Coast-based GP Mark Jeffery is a clinician who has been using lasers in his practice for more than four years. He says the research supports the use of light therapy for a wide range of diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, and chronic pain.

“The reality is there are no real side effects from low-level laser therapy, and it’s one of the safest treatments you can ever do,” he says.

Liebert says the promising results they have seen thus far will inform a large, double-blinded randomized control trial planned for this year. “It has the potential to apply to huge fields of medicine,” she said.

Weldon’s neurologist, Chris Kneebone, is keeping an open mind on infrared light therapy’s potential. “We all just have to wait and see what the trial results tell us,” he said.

His advice for people who wish to give it a try for their Parkinson’s? “If you want to give it a go, give it a go,” he said. “I’ve got no reason not to recommend it, but at this stage, I’ve got no reason to think it is helpful either.”

As for Jarrett, she has no doubts that infrared light therapy has helped her. She enjoys pottering around in her garden again and has more energy than she has had for a long time.

“I feel like I could take on the world again,” she said. “My garden has never looked better.”

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References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30074108/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29247431/

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Skincare doesn’t just affect the way you look. It also plays a huge role in your overall health — from body temperature to hormone regulation to your immune system. If you’re into skincare as much as we are, one of the many ways that can help you keep your skin healthy is red light therapy. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into why you should take care of your skin, and we’ll also discuss how red light therapy devices can help you achieve your skin goals.

Are you ready? Let’s go straight into it.

Why Do You Need to Take Care of Your Skin?

As the largest organ in our body, your skin is your body’s first defense line to bacteria, germs, viruses, etc. It’s a vital part of the immune system and some processes in your body, such as temperature control, blood circulation, and hormone production.

Main Functions of the Skin

Let’s take a look at the skin's main functions to help you understand how essential it is for you to take care of this vital organ.

1. Defense and Immunity

The skin is an active immune organ, and it serves as our physical barrier from the dangers of the environment. It helps protect our bodies from diseases, germs, viruses, dirt, UV radiation, and potential thermal and physical injuries. It also helps detect and fight off infection, toxins, allergens, hazardous substances, and carcinogens.

2. Temperature Regulation

Aside from protecting us from extreme cold or heat, the skin also helps prevent moisture loss, keeping us from being dehydrated.

3. Sense of touch

The skin has a somatosensory system that is composed of touch receptors and nerve endings. This system is responsible for the sensations we feel, including pain, pressure, vibrations, smoothness, roughness, heat, cold, tickle, itch, and more.

4. Storage and Production of Vitamin D

Your body also uses your skin's deeper layers to store metabolic products, fat, and water. The skin is also responsible for producing vitamin D, supplied in the body when the skin gets enough sunlight exposure.

5. Beauty

Need we say more? Your skin plays a huge part in your appearance. Of course, when your skin is healthy, you also look glowing, radiant, and definitely more attractive.

Red Light Therapy and Keeping Your Skin Healthy

Before we proceed with the “how,” let’s first define what red light therapy is. Red light therapy is a non-invasive treatment option for different kinds of medical conditions. It is also used for health improvement and various aesthetic procedures.

Decades ago, red light therapy machines were only available in clinics, high-end salons, and spas. Nowadays, red light therapy devices can be bought and used by anyone. In fact, you can do red light therapy at the comfort of your home and incorporate it into your skincare routine.

How Does Red Light Therapy Work?

Red light therapy works by delivering wavelengths of red and near-infrared (NIR) light to our cells and skin. Besides helping enhance cellular function, red light therapy also helps stimulate the mitochondria and produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) energy. This treatment option usually takes only about 10 minutes per session.

How Does Red Light Therapy Help Keep Your Skin Healthy?

Our skin relies on millions of cells to be able to perform its functions. When our cells experience homeostasis or a state of balance, our skin and body perform (and look) better. And as mentioned above, red and NIR light enhances cellular function while also preventing inflammation and oxidative stress. Red light therapy helps make your skin look and feel softer, smoother, and healthier.

Besides, red light therapy also helps damaged tissues heal and regenerate faster. It also has anti-inflammatory benefits, potentially increasing blood flow to damaged and inflamed tissues and reducing oxidative stress.

Final Thoughts

Skincare is self-care, as keeping your skin healthy also produces multiple benefits to your health. Thankfully, aside from proper hygiene, regular exercise, a balanced diet, and an established skincare routine, red light therapy can also improve your overall skin health.

For more information about red light therapy or to view our catalog of red therapy devices, click here.

Sources:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/structure.htm

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