British researchers have new evidence that transcranial infrared light therapy may be effective in promoting tissue repair following a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). The findings of the study, published in October in the journal Bioengineering and Translational Medicine, could mean that cyclists who deal with TBI following a bicycle crash may soon have a new treatment option on the horizon.
The method invented by scientists at the University of Birmingham, U.K. and patented by University of Birmingham Enterprise, aims to protect against secondary damage, and stimulate faster, and better recovery for patients, according to a news release from the university.
Researchers say they now want to develop a medical device that delivers the therapy to patients.
What is a TBI?
When the brain experiences damage due to an outside force, doctors typically refer to this as a traumatic brain injury or TBI. Some injuries can cause what are considered to be mild TBIs, such as concussions, but more serious injuries can cause coma and other serious symptoms like seizures, weakness throughout the body, and coordination, hearing, and vision problems.
Diagnosing a TBI is often difficult for physicians because the injury can display a range of symptoms, especially in mild cases of TBI like the ones the Birmingham researchers have been studying. Potential symptoms include:
- Headache
- Loss of vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sensory problems, such as blurred vision or ringing in the ears
- Mood swings
- Memory problems
- Sleep disturbances
- Dizziness
- Confusion
Cycling leads to the highest number of sport and recreation-related emergency room visits for TBIs in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From 2009 to 2018, there were an estimated 596,972 trips to the emergency room for bicycle-related TBIs. The vast majority — 83%, according to the CDC — were treated and released.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that a mild TBI is a simple diagnosis or that it resolves quickly. Concussions can prompt symptoms that persist for months or sometimes years and interfere with daily life. Anxiety, brain fog, and other experiences can be common for those who have suffered from a TBI, but there are few treatments that can help.
The promise of infrared light therapy
Because there are so few treatment options to turn to after a TBI diagnosis, the new research involving transcranial infrared light therapy is exciting news.
In the study, researchers delivered daily, two-minute bursts of infrared light, delivered by a laser, to animal models for three days post injury. The lasers of wavelengths showed reductions in the activation of astrocytes and microglia cells – these brain cells are involved in inflammatory processes in the brain following injury and trauma.
Four weeks following the treatments, researchers noted “significant improvements in performance in functional tests involving balance and cognitive function.” The researchers examined the effect of two wavelengths of near infrared light – 660nm and 810nm.
Superior outcomes were observed for light with a wavelength of 810nm.
While this research is exciting and builds upon work the researchers have previously conducted, infrared light therapy isn’t currently a treatment that is available to patients with a TBI. The Birmingham researchers, however, say their next endeavor will be to create a device that can help achieve that.
“We want to develop this method into a medical device that can be used to enhance recovery for patients with traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, with the aim of improving outcomes for patients,” says Professor Zubair Ahmed, one of the researchers who worked on the study.
A growing body of evidence
Researchers in the U.S. have also been studying the effects of light therapy on TBI patients. In 2020, Massachusetts General Hospital physicians published a study of the first prospective, randomized, interventional clinical trials of low-level light therapy (LLLT). They reported that it’s safe and has measurable effects in the brain.
The researchers also concluded that LLLT may be the first “widely-accepted treatment” for brain injuries.
Researchers built a special helmet to deliver the light therapy. They also attempted to optimize the wavelength and dosing to get the best outcome.
“Twenty-eight patients completed at least one LLLT session and none reported any adverse reactions. In addition, the researchers found that they could measure the effects of transcranial LLLT on the brain,” says a MGH news release. “The MRI studies showed statistically significant differences in the integrity of myelin surrounding the neurons of treated patients versus the control group. Both these findings support follow-up trials, especially since there are no other treatments for these patients.”
Moving forward for cyclists
Cyclists stand to gain a lot from this research as they’re one of the communities most affected by TBIs. Bicycle crashes and accidents can happen in an instant, but injuries to the head and brain can last for a long time.
It can be challenging to manage TBIs, even those that are mild, but this exciting time in neuro-research could mean that in the future, cyclists may have more options for treating the symptoms that take such a toll on everyday life.