Transcranial Near-Infrared Therapy for Cognitive Performance and Neurological Status Enhancement

Abstract

There is a growing interest in non-invasive treatment options in the field of neurotherapy with transcranial near-infrared (tNIR) light demonstrating promising results across a broad spectrum of neurological disorders. This paper explores the therapeutic potential of tNIR and its efficacy in stimulating cellular functions to improve outcomes in neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease as well as traumatic brain injury, stroke recovery, neuroinflammatory conditions, depression, and BDNF stimulation. Through the direct transcranial application of low-level wavelengths of red or near-infrared light, tNIR stimulation activates neural tissue metabolism, modulates brain function, enhances cognitive performance, and alleviates chronic brain inflammation. This study synthesizes current research findings to illustrate the mechanisms underlying tNIR's action, evaluates its potential across various neurotherapeutic applications, and presents an overview of its current therapeutic implementations. Studies demonstrate the tNIR's capacity to penetrate the skull, stimulate neural tissues, enhance mitochondrial function, and increase ATP production. tNIR has been shown to improve cognitive functions and reduce neuroinflammation, offering a novel approach to treating neurodegenerative conditions. tNIR’s application extends to stroke recovery, where it has been shown to reduce infarct zones as well as nerve regeneration through promoting synaptogenesis and BDNF stimulation.