To address brain damage caused by explosions and neurotoxin exposure, researchers at the VA Boston Healthcare System are testing the effects of light therapy. Veterans in the study wear a helmet lined with light-emitting diodes that apply red and near-infrared light to the scalp. Diodes, placed in the participants' nostrils, deliver photons to the deeper parts of the brain.
The therapy, though still considered "investigational," is already used by some alternative medicine practitioners to treat wounds and pain. The light from the diodes has been shown to boost the output of nitric oxide near where the LEDs are placed, which improves blood flow in that location.
The LED therapy increases blood flow in the brain, as shown on MRI scans. The method also appears to have an effect on the mitochondria of damaged brain cells. The red and near-infrared light photons penetrate through the skull and into brain cells, spurring the mitochondria to produce more ATP. An increased amount of ATP, the researchers say, could lead to clearer, sharper thinking.
One trial, already underway, aims to enroll 160 Gulf War veterans.
