It has been known that infrared light can promote the growth of cells. It has been used to cure wounds and cold sores.

With that said, researchers at the University of Sunderland in the UK have decided to use infrared light to promote the growth of brain cells in Alzheimer’s patients. They designed a helmet to emit low levels of infrared light directly into a patient’s skull. The team ran a test trial on mice and discovered the little rodents to gain better learning abilities. Human testing is scheduled for the upcoming summer.

In a related study, infrared therapy has been successful in patients suffering from dementia. With daily, 10-minute sessions under infrared lasers, eight out of nine patients have shown some improvement.

To be honest, the helmet looks ridiculous. However, if it is able to reverse Alzheimer’s, I’m sure sufferers wouldn’t mind looking a bit funny.

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Via: BBC News