Hi Rick,
Interesting, the first thing I thought of is the reports on wearing blue glass spectacles. You do mention "Consider the blue light effect, for example.". Have you thought of trying a blue glass filter in front of your lamp?
Then I thought about SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Where the absence of sunlight, eg in winter gives some people depression and other symptoms. IMark 3000 could be right when he asks does sunlight have the same effect. I think back to how well I was when we had 2 weeks holiday in Tahiti last year. Have a look at
http://www.britebox.co.uk/?gclid=COW...FQqGGgodwmJpfw
where they sell light boxes for SAD, they are expensive though, £189 ($340).
One point that maybe argues against theory is you may expect PD incidence to be higher in artic counties, and to my knowledge, this does not happen.
I have an extendable spotlight with a blue bulb so I will try that. Problem is it is only 60watt, but I will try it while I am on the computer.
Ron

Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):169-78. Links
Melatonin and Parkinson's disease.Mayo JC, Sainz RM, Tan DX, Antolín I, Rodríguez C, Reiter RJ.
Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, School of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. It is characterized by a progressive loss of dopamine in the substantia nigra and striatum. However, over 70% of dopaminergic neuronal death occurs before the first symptoms appear, which makes either early diagnosis or effective treatments extremely difficult. Only symptomatic therapies have been used, including levodopa (l-dopa), to restore dopamine content; however, the use of l-dopa leads to some long-term pro-oxidant damage. In addition to a few specific mutations, oxidative stress and generation of free radicals from both mitochondrial impairment and dopamine metabolism are considered to play critical roles in PD etiology. Thus, the use of antioxidants as an important co-treatment with traditional therapies for PD has been suggested. Melatonin, or N-acetyl-5-methoxy-tryptamine, an indole mainly produced in the pineal gland, has been shown to have potent endogenous antioxidant actions. Because neurodegenerative disorders are mainly caused by oxidative damage, melatonin has been tested successfully in both in vivo and in vitro models of PD. The present review provides an up-to-date account of the findings and mechanisms involved in neuroprotection of melatonin in PD.

PMID: 16217130 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Yes, I have experimented with blue and other colors over the years with limited success. This is a different effect as best I can tell and relies more on intensity than wavelength. Also it seems to be white light and not very demanding in terms of hardware. Melatonin - dopamine ratios seem to get badly skewed in PD and it may be the ratio that is important rather than absolute levels. And it might not be melatonin at all. New territory awaits!

I do lampworking, which is melting glass with a torch and I use hard glass which requires a very hot flame. I wonder if that type of light works also? Whenever I go to studio and do a couple of hours of work I always, always feel wonderful, no pain, no depression. The only thing I may have is stiff neck and shoulder muscles from holding my arms in certain position for periods of time. I hardly notice this tho. It is an addicting hobby and now wonder if it is like light is to the person with seasonal affective disorder. I would do some research into the type of lights, sunlight vs light bulbs vs flames, but have to get going to work. I will do so later tonight, but is an interesting concept. Thanks for input Everett.

you may also be interested in mrsD's report on her personal experience with light therapy
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ad.php?t=12301

I've used it two winters now. I start in Oct when the days get shorter. It is blue/green in wavelength. And I don't need more than 1/2 hr at the lower setting so far. Once rolling with it I don't even need it every day. The first winter I started in early Feb, and did need it every day. But last fall starting earlier..in Oct was much much better.

But I do not have Parkinson's (that I know of).

I suspect I have always had SAD, but it just got away from me as I turned 60!

PDers have depression issues. Lower SAMe in the brain.
I think the light is a good way to overcome the depression aspect!

I had an odd experience today that may contain a clue. I had run over on the light this morning - about an hour and half. I was working and not really paying it any attention. No prolems though. Then about noon I was having lunch beside a large sunny window and noticed that I was slightly dyskinetic - but ONLY when looking out he bright window, Back home about 2:00 PM I went Off for no particular reason and am only now coming back on at 6:00 PM.

There may be no connection but then again...
One possible explanation would be that the light increases production of something (presumably dopamine) and that excess exposure depleted raw materials (it was a low protein day). Another is that the light triggers the release of existing supplies of something (dopamine) and that one can exceed the replenishment rate. Then again it may be unconnected. Sure.

In any case, even as a way to start the day it has value. But moderation in all things.

....we use them for everything else. I know this is taking place in the retina, but the optic nerve is a direct projection of the brain into space.

1: Neurochem Int. 2006 Jan;48(1):17-23. Epub 2005 Sep 26.

Diurnal patterns of dopamine release in chicken retina.

Megaw PL, Boelen MG, Morgan IG, Boelen MK.

Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, P.O. Box 199
VIC 3552, Bendigo, Australia.

The retinal dopaminergic system appears to play a major role in the regulation of
global retinal processes related to light adaptation. Although most reports agree
that dopamine release is stimulated by light, some retinal functions that are
mediated by dopamine exhibit circadian patterns of activity, suggesting that
dopamine release may be controlled by a circadian oscillator as well as by light.
Using the accumulation of the dopamine metabolite dihydroxyphenylacetic acid
(DOPAC) in the vitreous as a measure of dopamine release rates, we have
investigated the balance between circadian- and light control over dopamine
release. In chickens held under diurnal light:dark conditions, vitreal levels of
DOPAC showed daily oscillations with the steady-state levels increasing nine-fold
during the light phase. Kinetic analysis of this data indicates that apparent
dopamine release rates increased almost four-fold at the onset of light and then
remained continuously elevated throughout the 12h light phase. In constant
darkness, vitreal levels of DOPAC displayed circadian oscillations, with an
almost two-fold increase in dopamine release rates coinciding with subjective
dawn/early morning. This circadian rise in vitreal DOPAC could be blocked by
intravitreal administration of melatonin (10 nmol), as predicted by the model of
the dark-light switch where a circadian fall in melatonin would relieve dopamine
release of inhibition and thus be responsible for the slight circadian increase
in dopamine release. The increase in vitreal DOPAC in response to light, however,
was only partially suppressed by melatonin. The activity of the dopaminergic
amacrine cell in the chicken retina thus appears to be dominated by
light-activated input.


PMID: 16188347 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Or, to put it another way, when you are asleep and dawn is approaching, the (circadian) alarm clock goes off and you can stuff a (melatonin) pillow over it. But that sunlight coming in the window is far more powerful. I think that I will adjust my schedule to a morning round for now. Makes more sense from an evolutionary point too.

Somewhere in those studies above, it was noted that PWP have melatonin to dopamine ratios six times higher than normal. If that is so and morning melatonin is acting as a brake on the release of dopamine, then the more powerful light therapy could compensate, could it not?

Rick,
I have been doing my light box thing first thing in the morning. Yesterday I took only 1/2 a 25/100 sinemet with my morning 50/200 CR instead of a whole one. Couldn't tell much difference; maybe a little slower loosening up. My usual morning dose is a whole 25/100 along with the 50/200, then 1/2 25/100 with another 50/200 around 4 pm. Mowed, edged both front and back yard yesterday.
I will report any detectable changes. Still taking LDDM and 900mg CoQ10 and holding steady.
Robert

R-
Have you gone daft on us or are you really a risk taker masquerading as a scientific mind - or are they one and the same?
Shake 'Em Up