optical neural stimulation

According to significant disorders related to the human nervous system, exploring novel ‎ways to treat or improve their effects is essential. in the last decade, neural modulation by ‎optical methods has gotten lots of attention in the literature as an alternative method for ‎electrical stimulation. according to non-invasive performance and spatial accuracy, ‎neurostimulation by light has some advantages compared to electrical stimulation. in this ‎method, lasers in a wide range of wavelengths can be effective. especially infrared lasers ‎according to the high absorption rate in neural tissues. infrared radiation generates heat in ‎neural cells due to the photothermal effect. this generated heat increases the temperature of ‎neural cells and depolarizes the cell membrane. although the main reason for infrared ‎neural stimulation is not completely clear, the increase in temperature probably by changing ‎the electrostatic cell parameters like membrane capacity changes membrane voltage and ‎generates an action potential. also, increasing temperature activates temperature-sensitive ‎ion channels like transient receptor potential cation channels (trpv), which may participate ‎in infrared neural stimulation. so the heating has a significant role in this process. optical ‎neural stimulation can be used in the central and peripheral nervous systems. also, there are ‎some studies about neural manipulation of auditory. moreover, optical stimulation can be a ‎perfect alternative for electrical heart pacemakers. in our lab so far earthworm s central ‎neural system was stimulated successfully by a pulsed infrared laser with wavelengths 1450 ‎and 1550 nm. also, rat heart rate was increased successfully by infrared radiation that ‎emphasizes the potential of optical methods for cardiac stimulation. more studies need to ‎demonstrate the underlying mechanism and applications of optical neural stimulation.‎