Red Light Therapy for Enhanced Cognition
Research indicates that the brain is influenced by red light therapy, and both mood and cognition can improve in many individuals. A large meta-analysis (based on six scientific studies) specifically examined the cognitive functions of the brain in young and healthy individuals treated with red light therapy, and the results were interesting (1). The method is called transcranial photobiomodulation, and as the name suggests, it simply involves shining light through the skull. What exactly happens inside the brain is not entirely clear, but it likely involves the mitochondria being charged, just as in other tissues, thereby contributing more energy to various processes in the brain. Within the realm of cognition are aspects such as attention, memory, and learning, and one can imagine these lamps becoming standard equipment for students, lecturers, artists, athletes, etc., who need to have an optimally functioning brain during a lesson, exam, performance, or similar. The meta-analysis concluded that there was a significantly positive effect on cognition in young, healthy individuals, and naturally, we want to see even more higher-quality studies now.
In individuals with mild cognitive impairment, positive effects have also been observed. In one study, participants received 40 treatments over eight weeks, and significant improvements in memory and cognitive functions were observed (2). Red light, which cannot penetrate the skull, was used in the study, and the neck and throat were irradiated. In another study, near-infrared light, known to reach deeper tissues, was used, and it was effective in improving cognition in healthy older individuals (3). Perhaps the perfect product for brain stimulation is one that provides both near-infrared light through the skull and red light on the neck and throat? Other research shows that transcranial near-infrared light can lead to faster reaction times in individuals with normal cognition (89).
On average, those treated had a 23.8 ms shorter reaction time than those who only received a placebo. It’s a matter of thousandths of a second, so the effects are not enormous, but of course, this can make the difference between winning and losing in many sports such as table tennis, badminton, martial arts, or ice hockey. The margins are so incredibly small that a soccer goalkeeper has a better chance of becoming the hero of the match if they undergo brain treatment just before the game. There are many more studies that show light therapy positively affects the brain, so if you want to boost your central nervous system, you should give it a try.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31549906
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34420956/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34662523/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27855264
