The members documents are in pdf format so you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view them. Most computers already have Acrobat Reader
already installed.
This program is Free and can be downloaded from www.adobe.com.
Download free Adobe® Reader® software.
AN INNOVATION IN LIGHT THERAPY
A promising new use for light-emitting diode (LED) therapy to improve cognition in chronic, traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been reported by Naeser, et al., in the journal, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, Epub ahead of print, December, 2010 (print publication is scheduled for April, 2011). This is particularly significant since 1.4 million individuals in the US are affected by TBI each year. The two case reports involved closed-head, mild TBI.
Animal studies have shown that transcranial, near-infrared (NIR) light reduced the amount of brain damage in mice when treated in the acute stage of TBI (Oron et al., 2007); and improved memory has been observed in middle-aged mice (Michalikova et al., 2007). There are two reports showing significant improvement in stroke outcome in humans, when treated within the first 24 hours poststroke (Lampl et al., 2007; Zivin et al., 2009). This report by Naeser, et al. is the first report of transcranial LED therapy used in humans with TBI. Red and NIR combination LED cluster heads (each cluster head, 2-inch diameter) were applied over the forehead, midline of the head, and frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital areas. Treatments were either weekly (or daily), at 13 Joules/cm2 per area on the skin/scalp surface (estimated 0.4 J/cm2 at 1 cm deep, at brain cortex). It is painless, and non-invasive.
The first case is a 59 year F, who sustained a closed-head injury in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) in 1997. Her head snapped backwards against a rigid headrest. X-rays and MRI were normal. At 5 months post-MVA, she was diagnosed by a neurologist as having post-concussive syndrome, and told she may never recover. She was a member of Mensa and subsequently resigned from all professional work (a web-designer) due to cognitive dysfunction. She was only able to work at the computer for 20 minutes at a time. She was first treated with transcranial LED therapy at 7 years post-MVA. Following 8 weeks of treatment she was able to work at the computer for 3 hours at a time. She purchased a home LED unit and after 6 years of transcranial LED therapy, continues to work at the computer for 3 hours at a time (now age 72).
The second patient is a 52 year F, with a history of multiple concussions without loss of consciousness. In 2007, after falling backwards from a swing (with loss of consciousness), she was unable to concentrate, stay on task or multi-task. In 2008, she went onto medical disability due to her cognitive dysfunction. Neuropsychological testing showed results consistent with frontal lobe dysfunction. After 4 months of home, transcranial LED therapy, she discontinued her medical disability and returned to work full-time. Her post-LED neuropsychological testing showed significant improvement on tests of executive function, inhibition and memory.
The success of transcranial LED therapy in these cases points to a broader application in other cases of traumatic brain injury, including in football players, other sports-related TBI, Veterans returning after blast-related (IED) injuries; and even children and teenagers.
