Evaluating the Potential of Light Exposure on Reducing the Frequency of Epileptic Seizures

Epilepsy is one of the most common and devastating neurological disorders that causes unprovoked, recurrent seizures arising from excessive synchronized neuronal discharging. Although antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) reduce the frequency of epilepsy seizures, drug-refractory epileptic patients exert resistance to AEDs, resulting in treatment difficulty. Moreover, pharmacological treatments do not show satisfactory results in response to photosensitive epilepsy. In the recent era, light therapy emerged as a potential non-pharmacological approach for treating various diseases, including depression, seasonal affective disorders, migraine, pain, and others. Several studies have also shown the potential of light therapy in treating epilepsy. In addition, Red light evokes epilepsy seizures. Blue lenses filter the red light and significantly suppress the frequency of epilepsy seizures. However, the effects of green light on the frequency of epileptic seizures are not studied yet. In addition, light-activated gene therapy or optogenetics also emerged as a possible option for epilepsy treatment. Animal models have shown the therapeutic possibilities of optogenetics and light therapy; however, human studies addressing this possibility are still vague. This review provides the beneficial effects of light in reducing seizure frequency in epilepsy patients. A limited number of studies have been reported so far; therefore, light therapy for treating epilepsy requires more studies on animal models to provide precise results of light effects on seizures.