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Can Light Therapy Help Heal the Brain After Injury? A New Hope?

Highlights

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability and affects thousands of people every year
  • A recent case series by Rindner et al. (2022) explored an innovative approach: transcranial infrared laser stimulation (TILS), a form of photobiomodulation that uses gentle near infrared light to stimulate the brain’s natural healing processes.
  • The results of the study are encouraging. There were no reported adverse events or serious side effects, showing that TILS was well tolerated by all participants.
  • These findings suggest that TILS is safe and may offer meaningful cognitive and emotional benefits for people recovering from TBI.

 

Background

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability and affects thousands of people every year.
  • Even after the initial injury heals, many patients live with ongoing:
    • Memory problems
    • Poor concentration
    • Headaches
    • Mood changes
  • Standard treatments often focus on symptom management, but researchers are actively looking for therapies that help the brain itself recover.
  • A recent case series by Rindner et al. (2022) explored an innovative approach:
    • Transcranial infrared laser stimulation (TILS)
    • A form of photobiomodulation that uses gentle near infrared light to stimulate the brain’s natural healing processes.

 

Intervention and Protocol

  • Eleven adults diagnosed with TBI received TILS sessions.
  • Treatment parameters:
    • Wavelength: 1064 nm
    • Power density: 250 mW/cm²
  • Each session involved:
    • Ten minutes of laser application to each side of the frontal lobes
    • Targeting Brodmann area 10
    • MRI-guided neuronavigation to ensure accuracy
  • Participants underwent up to eight sessions over several weeks.
  • The light gently penetrates the skull and is believed to:
    • Enhance mitochondrial energy production
    • Improve blood flow
    • Support neuronal function
  • Safety procedures:
    • Both patients and operators wore protective eyewear
    • Sessions were carried out with care to avoid eye exposure

 

Results

  • No reported adverse events or serious side effects.
  • TILS was well tolerated by all participants.
  • Main outcome measure:
    • Global Rating of Change (GRC)
    • Scale from −5 (“much worse”) to +5 (“much better”)
  • Clinical improvements:
    • Seven out of nine participants who completed the protocol reported clinically significant improvements (scores ≥ +2).
  • Neurocognitive testing results:
    • Verbal learning task (RAVLT):
      • Eight out of eleven participants improved by at least one point (statistically significant).
    • Executive function task (CWI):
      • Six participants improved
      • Two remained the same
  • Mood assessments:
    • Five participants showed reduced anxiety scores on the Beck Anxiety Inventory
    • Eight participants showed improved depression scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, with several moving below clinical cutoffs

 

Interpretation

  • These findings suggest that TILS is safe and may offer meaningful cognitive and emotional benefits for people recovering from TBI.
  • Although this was a small case series without a control group:
    • Results align with emerging research showing that light-based therapy can enhance cerebral oxygenation
    • Supports functional recovery in the brain
  • Implications:
    • For patients and families: a gentle, non-drug intervention that could complement traditional rehabilitation
    • For clinicians and researchers: a strong foundation for larger controlled trials to:
      • Confirm efficacy
      • Determine optimal timing after injury
      • Refine treatment schedules

 

 

Takeaway

These findings suggest that TILS is safe and may offer meaningful cognitive and emotional benefits for people recovering from TBI. While this was a small case series without a control group, the results align with other emerging research showing that light based therapy can enhance cerebral oxygenation and support functional recovery in the brain.

 

Reference: Rindner, E. S., Haroon, J. M., Jordan, K. G., Mahdavi, K. D., Surya, J. R., Zielinski, M. A., Habelhah, B., Venkatraman, V., Becerra, S. A., Chan, L., Kuhn, T. P., & Jordan, S. E. (2022). Transcranial Infrared Laser Stimulation for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Series. Journal of lasers in medical sciences, 13, e65. https://doi.org/10.34172/jlms.2022.65

Integrative Wellbeing Institute