Published in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, this study reviewed nine different research papers about the effects of red light therapy related to brain health and found that there are indeed promising neurological effects from red light therapy. Research into utilizing red light therapy for brain health is very new, however, emerging studies show some early promise, which could alter the way red light therapy is used in the future. This study used red light therapy to treat a mild, chronic brain injury and found quantifiable improvements throughout the red light treatment. [Sources: 10]
The study was designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of applying light therapy following mild traumatic brain injury, as well as neuron activity of the brain injured by light therapy, according to quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures and neurocognitive function assessments. This trial is one of the first randomized, prospective, interventional clinical trials on low-level light treatment with near-infrared (LLLT) for patients with recent moderate brain injury. Low-level light therapy (LLLT) using energy from red-to-near-infrared light has gained attention over recent years as a novel scientific approach with therapeutic applications in ophthalmology, neurology, and psychiatry. [Sources: 1, 6, 12]
LLLT, or photobiomodulation, refers to the use of low-power, high-fluence light from lasers or LEDs at wavelengths ranging from red to near-infrared, for the modulation of a biological function. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a form of light-based therapy that exposes neural tissues to a low-fluence (1 to >20 joules/cm2) light, most often in the red to near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (3). Animal studies suggest that photobiomodulation (PBM) with infrared radiation can decrease the size and severity of brain injuries and strokes, as well as diminish damage and physiological symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease. Michael Hamblin, Ph.D., from Massachusetts General Hospitals Wellman Center for Photomedicine in Boston, is a leader in this field, describes PBM as the use of red or near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy using far red/near IR (FR/NIR) laser light (630-1000 nm) holds promise as an effective treatment for chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration. [Sources: 3, 5, 6, 11]
This pilot study investigated whether patients with mild-to-moderate-severe dementia or probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD), who had baseline scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) ranging from 10-24, improved after photobiomodulation therapy with near-infrared photobiomodulation (PBM). A balanced, placebo-controlled trial with 23 AD patients who were randomized to receive either bright light treatment at night (BLT) or dark light therapy showed a significant improvement on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a test measuring cognitive function, following the light treatment (p=0.012). A study conducted in 2017 tested these subjects as well and found the treatments reduced the degeneration of the hippocampus, as well as improved spatial memory, recognition, and motor skills for the light treatment group. In vivo studies using red-light transcranial LED (RL-TCLT) therapies at wavelengths, 660nm and 810nm on age-induced d-galactose-induced BALB/c mice improved spatial memory and increased mitochondrial function. [Sources: 2, 4, 6, 7]
In this chapter, we summarize evidence from studies using Red-light transcranial LED therapy (RL-TCLT), with the main focus being the positive effects of RL-TCLT on the brain, especially the structures and functions of the hippocampus. We will highlight our advances in the treatment of aging hippocampal function with 630-light-transcranial LEDs in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). [Sources: 4]
Based on encouraging anecdotal reports, along with clinical trials specifically focused on red light effects on the brain, researchers think that red light could have utility for improving the functioning of brain cells. Research conducted in 2015 by VA Boston Healthcare System found increased blood flow in the brain and mitochondria stimulation by red light therapy, prompting calls for additional studies on the use of red light therapy for treating veterans suffering from brain injuries related to the war. Red light therapy largely provides relief by stimulating the activity of cell mitochondria, which increase ATP production, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and enhance other cell activities, all of which reinforce the brain. By increasing cell energy (stimulating ATP production in mitochondria) and increasing cerebral blood flow, NIR light enhances the subnormal cell activities of injured brain tissues following a mild head injury. [Sources: 8, 10, 13]
When photons from red and NIR light are absorbed into the body, they stimulate metabolic energy production in mitochondria. Applying red/NIR light enhances mitochondrial function (especially in hypoxic/compromised cells) promoting increased adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is essential to cell metabolism. [Sources: 6, 8]
A recent study conducted by researchers in the US, South Africa, Iran, and Germany, published in October of 2021, showed that photobiomodulation (another term for light therapy) using red and NIR light has been shown in several studies to positively affect brain health. This open-label, pilot study investigated if applying red and near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the scalp can improve cognition in patients suffering from chronic, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Several studies reported that brain irradiation using red or near-infrared (600-1100 nm) LEDs improved tissue repair, blood flow, cicatrization, and recovery after trauma [12, 13, 14]; however, results were varied because of differences in protocols and wavelengths, the potential of the LEDs, the time the target tissue was stimulated, animal models used, as well as doses or treatments period [13, 15, 16, 17]. Although the research on transcranial use of RL or laser led remains at an early stage, increasing evidence suggests that, while the character of the light provided by RL and NIR-light therapies presents a broad spectrum, it may modulate the activities of cells, including energy metabolism and cellular functions. [Sources: 4, 6, 10]
Preclinical studies showed the beneficial effects of transcranial PBM on animal models of acute TBI (4-9). One study further revealed that transcranial laser treatment delivered to the right frontal scalp was more effective at alleviating symptoms of depression compared with left frontal scalp PBM, an observation that could indicate the area-dependent effects of PBM on patients with MDD. Results from an experimental animal trial, conducted by random assignment, showed that mice treated with photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) had fewer severe symptoms and fewer relapses compared with mice who did not receive PBMT. [Sources: 3, 9, 11]
Investigations into the effects of light on mice genes in a randomized study revealed that molecules that are negatively affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) were weakened following light exposure, whereas those responsible for improvements were strengthened. [Sources: 11]
The good news is that it has been shown that treatment with red light can spur the growth of new neural tissue within damaged brain cells, improving cognition of the brain in patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries, as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Given red light therapies’ wide array of benefits, you might wonder whether light therapy is something that could help increase brain functions, like improving memory, learning faster and processing difficult problems faster, treating psychological problems, or potentially supporting recovery from a stroke or brain injury (TBI). By reducing oxidative stress and preventing the buildup of Beta-amyloid, which causes plaques in the brain and dysfunction in synapses, Red light therapy offers hope for delays in Alzheimer’s and dementia symptoms, as well as, perhaps, reversing or preventing brains degeneration and decline in cognitive functions. Red light therapy has been shown to improve immune function, sleep, and circulation, decrease inflammation and pain, facilitate quicker healing and recovery of muscles, skin rejuvenation, collagen production, hormonal balance, thyroid regulation, weight loss, and cognition. [Sources: 0, 2, 8, 13]
Sources:
[0]: https://www.chirowg.com/joovv-red-light-therapy/
[1]: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/09/mgh-led-study-shows-light-therapy-is-safe/
[2]: https://dralexjimenez.com/red-light-therapy-for-neurological-diseases/
[3]: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.00952/full
[4]: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/79126
[6]: https://www.txlasertx.com/tbi-program
[8]: https://platinumtherapylights.com/blogs/news/brain-light-therapy
[9]: https://www.biolight.shop/brain-and-nerve-health
[10]: https://mitoredlight.com/blogs/mito-red-blog/neurological-effects-of-red-light-therapy
[12]: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2770551
[13]: https://redlightrising.co.uk/2021/08/31/red-light-therapy-for-brain-health/
