Has anyone heard of this new light therapy treatment for PD? I came across this website, photopharmics.com, where a company has supposedly done some research on the treatment, and is making the light device. Is anyone using one of these light boxes or is anyone interested in it?

I do not know of anyone personally but the therapy seems to have potential. There was a long term study on PWP using one hour of bright light at night and it resulted in an apparent slow down or halt in progression. It was interesting because it studied people who had dropped out of the trial and compared them to those who were consistent in their treatment.

The researchers have a very novel theory that PD is a neuroendocrine disorder and I would not rule that out. There is more to the story than dopamine.

Interestingly, people have reported benefit here from wearing blue tinted glasses and I think that blue light is a part of the study I just mentioned. Don't quote me on that.

The think the Pineal Gland and Melatonin homeostasis plays a key role. Many say we are Melatonin deficient but there study says melatonin inhibition is therapeutic. Crazy. At very least they are acknowledging how research overlooks an obvious component. The substantia nigra is (substantially dark) where melatonin is concentrated. In us it is nearly devoid of pigment, so obviously something is amiss. -- Laura

Here are a couple links:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22499678

http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Defic...ause/Melatonin

Sunshine is the best Light Therapy I have found...I do really well out working in garden and never as well in the house...I can go longer without l-dopa supplementation also when outside. People fuss at me for not wearing a hat and long sleeves...I wear a tank top and want as much sun as I can get and still take vit D supplementation . PD'rs are usually low in D

I am curious. I don't have PD but other auto immune problems. I had light therapy and a form of immunosupressant. This did work for me while I was in the trial. I stayed healthier. Would love to know if this is in any of the physicians journals. Keep me informed if you can. I took 8-MOP and the light therapy for a few years, several times per week. ginnie