Infrared Light Therapy for TBI
 

Hey Everyone,

I just finished reading The Brain's Way of Healing by Norman Doidge and wanted to share two therapies that he discusses in the book to help people with TBI's.

I just typed out an entire post with links and videos to both therapies but it would not allow me to submit the post because my post count is not at 10.

The two therapies are Infrared Light Therapy and a device called a Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator. I suggest you do some research on your own as I believe both therapies have promise. When my post count is at 10 I will post the links.

These issues have been posted before. The Portable Neuromodulation Devise is designed and shows value for motor control issues as it is thought to stimulate Cranial Nerves V and VII. Its use for concussion symptoms has not been demonstrated.

Infrared Light Therapy is primarily used for pain and soft tissue injuries as it promotes blood flow for healing. Again, its use for concussion symptoms has not been demonstrated. It may be useful for Subtle Neck Injuries that are common to PCS and can cause head aches.

Since I googled these devices, I get ads for them frequently on various web sites i visit. The FisherWallace company makes the PMD and a device that is supposed to help with depression and anxiety. It can be pricy at $600 to $800.

There have been a few studies done using Infrared Light on TBI patients and the results are encouraging.

Here is the results section from one paper:

Results: Seven years after closed-head TBI from a motor vehicle accident, Patient 1 began transcranial LED treatments. Pre-LED, her ability for sustained attention (computer work) lasted 20 min. After eight weekly LED treatments, her sustained attention time increased to 3 h. The patient performs nightly home treatments (5 years); if she stops treating for more than 2 weeks, she regresses. Patient 2 had a history of closed-head trauma (sports/military, and recent fall), and magnetic resonance imaging showed frontoparietal atrophy. Pre-LED, she was on medical disability for 5 months. After 4 months of nightly LED treatments at home, medical disability discontinued; she returned to working full-time as an executive consultant with an international technology consulting firm. Neuropsychological testing after 9 months of transcranial LED indicated significant improvement (+1, +2SD) in executive function (inhibition, inhibition accuracy) and memory, as well as reduction in post-traumatic stress disorder. If she stops treating for more than 1 week, she regresses. At the time of this report, both patients are continuing treatment.

And another:

Eleven chronic, mTBI participants (26-62 years of age, 6 males) with nonpenetrating brain injury and persistent cognitive dysfunction were treated for 18 outpatient sessions (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, for 6 weeks), starting at 10 months to 8 years post- mTBI (motor vehicle accident [MVA] or sports-related; and one participant, improvised explosive device [IED] blast injury). Four had a history of multiple concussions. Each LED cluster head (5.35 cm diameter, 500 mW, 22.2 mW/cm(2)) was applied for 10 min to each of 11 scalp placements (13 J/cm(2)). LEDs were placed on the midline from front-to-back hairline; and bilaterally on frontal, parietal, and temporal areas. Neuropsychological testing was performed pre-LED, and at 1 week, and 1 and 2 months after the 18th treatment. A significant linear trend was observed for the effect of LED treatment over time for the Stroop test for Executive Function, Trial 3 inhibition (p=0.004); Stroop, Trial 4 inhibition switching (p=0.003); California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT)-II, Total Trials 1-5 (p=0.003); and CVLT-II, Long Delay Free Recall (p=0.006). Participants reported improved sleep, and fewer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, if present. Participants and family reported better ability to perform social, interpersonal, and occupational functions. These open-protocol data suggest that placebo-controlled studies are warranted.

It is also being used in a study by a group of doctor's from Harvard who are running the Harvard Football Players Health Study. They were given a 100 million dollar grant from the NFL. (Not just for this study)

Infrared Light Therapy is different than transcranial LED therapy. Infrared Light Therapy in commonly used in chiro and PT offices. Transcranial LED Therapy uses Red and Near Infrared (NIR) wavelengths to effect the cells. The studies I found do show transcranial LED therapy as promising. It looks like you need lots of treatments to see a benefit.

In both subjects of the first study, the subject regressed if they discontinued the LED treatment. It appears this needs to be a ongoing and lifelong treatment.

I have not been able to find any LED units designed for transcranial therapy. The common LED therapy units I found cost $900 and are not directed at transcranial therapy. Do you know of any sources for the LED units for transcranial therapy ? The other LED units use infrared wave length and have RED and NIR LEDs available as accessories.

That grant to the Harvard Football Players Health Study is being funded over ten years by the NFL Players Association, not the NFL. Unfortunately, the NFL has been very resistant to fund any worthwhile studies so the players are doing it. This has been a hot topic by the NLFPA for a decade or more despite the NFL's reluctance to look into the matter.

It sounds like one needs to find a doctor who understand it to order the system.