Researchers at Guangzhou University and Jinan University developed an opto-mechano-cardiac coupling method that uses laser light to control heart rhythms, according to a study published in Nature Communications on August 11, 2026. The team used optical traps operating at a 1064-nanometer wavelength with a 100-kilohertz refresh rate to convert musical rhythms into mechanical movements in otoliths.
These otolith oscillation patterns establish direct relationships between mechanical inputs and cardiac responses. The study found that hindbrain regions, primarily the vagal motor area, drive this heart rate modulation. The process relies on adrenergic activation and alters the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity.
Restoring heart rhythms
Using real-time rhythm transcoding, the team measured how sound patterns with distinct spectral compositions alter cardiac rhythms. They applied this technique to correct drug-induced pathological heart rhythm disorders in experimental models. The authors stated that the approach connects optical physics and autonomic cardiac physiology, establishing a framework for personalized arrhythmia management and quantitative biomedicine.
The paper was submitted on July 21, 2025, accepted on July 31, 2026, and published on August 11, 2026. Research funding came from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, the Open Fund of Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanophotonic Manipulation, and municipal programs in Guangzhou. Authors Xiaoshuai Liu, Chunfeng Shang, Xianchuang Zheng, Baojun Li, and their colleagues declared no competing interests.
