Transcranial Low–Level Light Therapy: A New Hope for Preventing Cognitive Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Abstract

In this issue of JAMA Network Open, Figueiro Longo et al 1 describe the results of a randomized, shamcontrolled trial that investigated the effects of transcranial low-level light therapy (LLLT) in inducing a neuroprotective response in the acute period after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. To my knowledge, this was the first clinical study using LLLT with the objective of helping patients with TBI to recover.Traumatic brain injury can generate a wide range of physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities, such as cranial nerve damage, neuroendocrine disorders, spasticity, permanent memory loss, posttraumatic sleep disturbances, emotional liability, augmented aggressive behavior, and even psychosis. 2 The high frequency of physical trauma and the large variety of severe, trauma-related disorders make TBI a major cause of disability worldwide. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study of 2016 estimated that 759 persons of every 100 000 (age-standardized rate) currently live with disability after having experienced a TBI. 3