Light therapy to improve lives of brain injury patients?

Self-administered light therapy could be used to help those with traumatic brain injury who may require assisted living, a study has shown.

The use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed on the scalp and forehead was seen to improve cognitive functioning and reduce post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with brain injury, according to research in the journal Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.

Two individuals with traumatic brain injury were studied and exhibited improved focus, attention, memory and inhibition, with one of the participants returning to full time work.

Journal editor Raymond J Lanzafame explained: "The development of novel therapies to restore function after neurologic injury, stroke, or disease is an increasingly important goal in medical research as a result of an increase in non-fatal traumatic wounds and the increasing prevalence of dementias and other degenerative disorders in our aging population."

Meanwhile, scientists at Melbourne's The Alfred Hospital found that the drug erythropoietin (EPO), best known for misuse by athletes, could aid the brain's regeneration after traumatic brain injury, reports the Australian Associated Press.

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