Original Article    OPEN ACCESS

Blue 405 nm laser light mediates heart rate – investigations at the acupoint Neiguan (Pe.6) in Chinese adults

Gerhard Litscher1 MSc PhD MDsc, Zheng Xie1, 2 MD, Lu Wang1 MD, Ingrid Gaischek1 MSc
1Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine and TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria, and 2Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.

Citation: Litscher G, Xie Z, Wang L, Gaischek I. Blue 405 nm laser light mediates heart rate – investigations at the acupoint Neiguan (Pe.6) in Chinese adults. North Am J Med Sci 2009; 1: 226-231.    
doi: 10.4297/najms.2009.5226
Availability: www.najms.org
ISSN: 1947 – 2714

Abstract
Background: In previous studies, we showed that laser needle acupuncture with red and infrared light has specific effects on bio-signals of the brain and heart. Aims: In this publication we report the effect of blue laser light on heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) before, during and after acupuncture at the acupoint Neiguan (Pe.6) in Chinese adults. These are the first data published concerning heart rate and HRV, obtained with blue laser acupuncture equipment. Patients and Methods: The investigations were carried out in 13 healthy Chinese volunteers with a mean age of 31.2 ± 7.5 years within a randomized, controlled study. Stimulation was performed with painless blue laser light (wavelength: 405 nm; activation: 10 minutes) bilaterally at Pe.6. In a second session, for control reasons the laser was not activated. Results Heart rate showed a significant (p=0.008) decrease during blue laser light stimulation. In contrast, no significant changes were found when the laser was deactivated. The evaluation parameter LF/HF ratio (low frequency/high frequency ratio) from the HRV spectral analysis showed a very slight increase during stimulation, however it was not significant. Conclusions: Our main conclusion is that continuous blue laser light stimulation on Neiguan significantly reduces heart rate of Chinese adults.

Keywords: Blue laser, acupuncture, laser needle, Neiguan, heart rate, heart rate variability, autonomic nervous system, Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Correspondence to: Professor Gerhard Litscher, MSc., PhD., MDsc, Head of the Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine and of the TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, A-8036 Graz, Austria. Tel.: +43 316 385-13907, Fax: +43 316 385-13908. Email: gerhard.litscher@medunigraz.at