Methods for preventing and treating motor-related neurological conditions

Abstract

Methods for preventing or treating motor-related neurological conditions include using ocular light therapy in connection with a conventional therapy for a motor-related neurological condition, such as a drug regimen, to adjust levels of melatonin and/or dopamine in the body of a subject. The ocular light therapy may include elevated levels of blue-green light or green light (e.g., light within a wavelength range of 460 nm to 570 nm, 490 nm to 570 nm, about 520 nm to 570 nm, etc.). The ocular light therapy may also include reduced levels of amber, orange and/or red light. Methods for diagnosing motor-related neurological conditions include use of ocular light therapy to cause a subject to temporarily exhibit one or more symptoms of any motor-related neurological condition to which the subject is predisposed, or which the subject may already be experiencing. A temporary increase in such symptoms may be effected by ocular administration of light including increased amounts of amber, orange and/or red light.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for addressing a motor-related neurological condition, comprising:
 diagnosing a motor-related neurological condition experienced by a subject; and prescribing a light therapy.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein prescribing the light therapy comprises prescribing an enriched course of light therapy for the subject including an above-ambient peak in at least one of a blue range of wavelengths, a green range of wavelengths, and a blue-green range of wavelengths and a below ambient amount of amber, orange or red wavelengths. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein prescribing comprises prescribing the enriched course of light therapy with the above-ambient peak having an above-ambient narrow band isolated intensity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein prescribing the light therapy comprises prescribing an amber, orange or red light deficient course of light therapy for the subject. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein prescribing comprises prescribing a green light enriched course of light therapy having an above-ambient amount of green light. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein prescribing the light therapy comprises prescribing an enriched course of light therapy for the subject including at least one above-ambient peak in a range of 460 nm to 570 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein prescribing the light therapy comprises prescribing the enriched course of light therapy for the subject with the at least one above-ambient peak being in a range of 520 nm to 570 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein prescribing the light therapy comprises prescribing the enriched course of light therapy with a below-ambient amount of light in a range of above 570 nm to 750 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein prescribing the light therapy includes prescribing at least one time of day and at least one duration light therapy is to be administered to the subject. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein prescribing the light therapy comprises prescribing a same spectral makeup of the light therapy for a plurality of times throughout each day. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein prescribing the light therapy comprises prescribing a plurality of time dependent spectral makeups of the light therapy, with one time dependent spectral makeup of the plurality of time dependent spectral makeups corresponding to at least one particular time during the day. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein prescribing light therapy includes prescribing light therapy for stimulating a dopaminergic response. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein diagnosing comprises ocularly exposing the subject to at least one diagnostic bandwidth of light. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein ocularly exposing enhances at least one symptom of at least one motor-related neurological condition. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein ocularly exposing comprises administering at least one wavelength of light within a range of greater than 570 nm to about 750 nm to the subject. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein diagnosing includes ocularly exposing the subject to light in which wavelengths of greater than 570 nm to 750 nm have a greater collective intensity than a collective intensity of wavelengths from 460 nm to 570 nm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein ocularly exposing enhances at least one symptom of at least one motor-related neurological condition. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein diagnosing includes ocularly exposing the subject to an isolated bandwidth of at least one of amber, orange and red light. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prescribing a drug therapy including a dosage of medication for treating the motor-related neurological condition.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 after repeatedly administering the light therapy, reducing a dose of the medication administered to the subject in a revised course of treatment to treat the motor-related neurological condition.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein prescribing the light therapy and prescribing the drug therapy comprise prescribing the light and drug therapies in accordance with an optimal dosing schedule. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein prescribing the light and drug therapies in accordance with the optimal dosing schedule comprises prescribing the light and drug therapies in such a way that the light therapy is administered at a different time of the day than the drug therapy. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein prescribing the light and drug therapies in accordance with the optimal dosing schedule comprises terminating administration of the drug therapy at predetermined time of day. 
     
     
         24 . A method for addressing a motor-related neurological condition, comprising:
 receiving a prescription for light therapy for addressing a motor-related neurological condition experienced by a subject; and   administering the light therapy.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein administering comprises administering the light therapy once each day. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein administering comprises administering light including an above-ambient intensity of at least one bandwidth having a peak in a range of 520 nm to 570 nm. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein administering comprises administering light lacking an above-ambient intensity of any wavelength in a range of greater than 570 nm to 750 nm. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein administering comprises administering light lacking an above-ambient intensity of any wavelength in a range of 440 nm to 490 nm. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein administering comprises ocularly administering the course of light therapy to the subject. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 receiving a prescription for drug therapy including a dosage of medication for addressing the motor-related neurological condition; and   administering the drug therapy.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein administering the drug therapy comprises administering the dosage of medication a plurality of times each day. 
     
     
         32 . A system for addressing a motor-related neurological condition, comprising:
 a medication for treating a motor-related neurological condition or at least one symptom of the motor-related neurological condition; and   a light therapy device for ocularly delivering light with at least one peak at a wavelength therapeutic for the motor-related neurological condition or the symptom of the motor-related neurological condition.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the light therapy device delivers the light while delivering below-ambient levels of light that exacerbate the motor-related neurological condition or the symptom of the motor-related neurological condition. 
     
     
         34 . A method for diagnosing a motor-related neurological condition, comprising:
 ocularly exposing a subject to at least one of amber, orange and red light in a manner that will cause the subject to exhibit at least one symptom of a motor-related neurological condition if the subject is predisposed to suffer from the motor-related neurological condition.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein ocularly exposing temporarily exacerbates at least one symptom of the at least one motor-related neurological condition. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein ocularly exposing enables a physician to distinguish between different motor-related conditions or to determine a severity of a motor-related condition. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein ocularly exposing comprises administering to the subject light comprising one or more isolated bandwidths with peaks centered at at least one of amber, orange and red light. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein administering comprises administering one or more isolated bandwidths within a range of greater than 570 nm to about 750 nm to the subject. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein administering comprises filtering light of wavelengths of 570 nm and below from light administered to the subject. 
     
     
         40 . A method for addressing a motor-related neurological condition, comprising:
 ocularly administering blue light and/or green light to a subject.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein ocularly administering blue light and/or green light to the subject comprises ocularly administering an above-ambient amount of blue light and/or an above-ambient amount of green light to the subject. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein below-ambient amounts of yellow, orange, and red light are administered to the subject. 
     
     
         43 . A method for addressing a motor-related neurological condition, comprising:
 ocularly administering at least one bandwidth of light having a peak in a range of 460 nm to 570 nm to a subject.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein ocularly administering comprises ocularly administering at least one bandwidth of light having a peak in a range of 520 nm to 570 nm to the subject. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein ocularly administering comprises ocularly administering an above-ambient amount of the light having the peak in range of 460 nm to 570 nm. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein below-ambient amounts of light having wavelengths in a range of greater than 570 nm to 750 nm are administered to the subject.