- We’re highlighting a recent article in the journal Cell Research featuring Melanopsin-SAP (Cat. #IT-44).
- Chronic pain affects more than 20% of people worldwide. Current treatments often provide limited relief and can cause significant side effects. Researchers discovered that 40 Hz flickering light significantly reduced both inflammatory and nerve-related pain in mice. The pain-relieving effect works through a specific brain circuit connecting the retina (eye) to the central amygdala (CeA). Activating this retina-to-amygdala pathway was enough to reduce pain, while blocking it prevented the benefits of the flickering light.
- Exposure to 40 Hz light increased levels of adenosine, a signaling molecule that helps suppress pain, in the central amygdala. Blocking adenosine signaling eliminated the pain relief, while directly adding adenosine produced similar pain-reducing effects. The pain-relieving effects depended on activation of A2A receptors, which mediate adenosine’s actions.
- Melanopsin-SAP was used to ablate intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells to examine their role. The effects of 40 Hz light flickering remained intact indicating that ipRGCs are not essential for the analgesia induced by 40 Hz light.
- Researchers also found that chronic pain memories could be weakened or “erased” in the amygdala, similar to how memories can be modified during reconsolidation. These findings suggest that 40 Hz light therapy could become a non-invasive treatment for chronic pain, potentially reducing both pain sensation and the underlying pain memories that help maintain chronic pain.
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Light therapy alleviates chronic pain
Tagged: targeted-toxinstips-and-treats