Exposure to a laser will help increase the working memory of a person

Scientists at the University of Birmingham in the UK and Beijing Normal University in China have studied working memory and have shown that non-invasive laser stimulation increases working memory by up to 25 percent.?The work with the results of the study was?published?in the journal Science Advances.

According to the duration of storage, memory is divided into short-term, long-term and working (operational).?In this work, scientists decided to study working memory (WM), which provides temporary storage of information available for direct processing, which is necessary for current mental activity and for logical reasoning.

At the same time, scientists chose transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), also known as low-intensity laser therapy (LLLT), as a method.?Initially, it was used only for wound healing and pain relief, but later found use in the treatment of myocardial infarction, stroke, as well as degenerative diseases and brain injuries, and even in the treatment of mental disorders - depression and various addictions.

Its action is based on visible and infrared light (NIR), which penetrates through the skin and skull into the brain tissue and promotes their regeneration.?The wavelength in this case varies from 600 to 1100 nm.

Using electroencephalography (EEG), the researchers measured brain activity during tPBM exposure to the right prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in working memory formation.?90 people took part in the experiments.?They were men and women aged 18 to 25.?They were exposed to laser exposure for several minutes with a wavelength of 1064 nm.?Other participants were treated either at a wavelength of 852 nm or 1064 nm, but on the left prefrontal cortex.?There was also a group of people receiving inactive tPBM stimulation to rule out a placebo effect.

After a 12-minute laser exposure, all participants were tested - they were asked to remember the position and color of the figures that they were shown before the procedure.?To determine the result, scientists estimated the memory capacity using a standard formula (K).

Memory capacity over time?.?(A) Orientation tasks (blue shows tPBM fictitious exposure values).?(B) Color-coded tasks (blue shows tPBM dummy exposure values).?Credit: Yan Song et al.?/ Science Advances 2022

Those participants in the experiment who were actually stimulated by a laser at a wavelength of 1064 nm were able to remember 4-5 objects, while the rest only from 3 to 4. The positive effect of the laser turned out to be statistically significant.

“People with problems such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or other attention-related disorders may benefit from this type of treatment.?It is safe, simple and non-invasive, with no side effects,” said Dongwei Li, PhD student at the University of Birmingham Health Center and co-author of the paper.

However, despite the result, the researchers are not yet able to answer the questions why the treatment has a positive effect on working memory and how long the effect will last after treatment.?But they intend to find out in the near future.

Alexandra Bezrodnaya
Researcher