Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is a safe, non-invasive treatment that has been featured in research since the 1960s. PBMT uses visible, or near-infrared light (NIR) to stimulate, heal and repair damaged or dying cells.

Although many PBMT studies on cognition have been small, their results have been encouraging and warrant the future design of placebo-controlled trials. As the evidence supporting PBMT as a treatment option for dementia continues to grow, it is possible that PBMT for dementia “will become one the of the most important medical applications of light therapy in the coming years and decades.”

PBMT uses light to helps brain cells generate more cell energy, called ATP. PBMT increases the cell’s absorption of photons, which reduces inflammation and increases cerebral blood flow. As a result, PBMT increases brain cells’ ability to self-repair and communicate. Negative side effects have not been reported from the use of PBMT.

It is well known that light helps skin cells produce vitamin D. This is possible because visible light penetrates biological tissues more than one might think. Interestingly, red and near infrared (NIR) light penetrate deeper than green, blue, or violet light. You can visualize this phenomenon by shining a white flashlight through your hand, observing a red glow on the other side (the blue and green wavelengths ‘disappeared’ because they were absorbed).

One case study, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in 2017, documented one AD patient’s response to PBMT. The participant was given a PBMT headset to take home and use 6 times per week for 17 weeks in conjunction with its intranasal device. Improved cognition and quality of life outcomes were noticeable in days, and continued to improve over the 17 weeks of treatment. By the second day of PBMT, the patient reportedly “emerged from silence and started to hold meaningful conversations”. No negative side effects were observed.