The lives of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who require assisted living can be improved with the help of self-administered light therapy.
The lives of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who require assisted
living can be improved with the help of self-administered light therapy. This
study was carried out by Dr. Margaret Naeser from Boston University School of
Medicine and colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard-MIT
Division of Health Sciences and Technology.
With daily use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the scalp and forehead,
improvement was noticed in the cognitive functioning and it also showed
reduction in the post-traumatic stress disorder among patients with brain
injury. The phototherapy technique delivers red and near-infrared light energy
to improve cellular metabolism which offers physiological benefits.
Scientists studied two individuals
with TBI. After light therapy, patients showed improved focus, attention,
memory and inhibition. One of the participants even returned back to work. This
research is significant, taking into consideration the increasing number of
non-fatal traumatic wounds and the rise in the prevalence of dementia and other
degenerative disorders among the older population.
This research has been published in the journal
Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.
Source-Medindia