Efficacy of super-pulsed 905 nm Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in the management of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A case study

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ABSTRACT
Traumatic brain injury is a major health concern worldwide with massive financial and social impact. Conventional treatments primarily focus on the prevention of further damage to the brain parenchyma, while failing to address the already existent symptoms. Previous clinical studies have shown that Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) can significantly reduce pain and induce temporary vasodilation in capillaries, which the authors hypothesize can be used to improve the quality of life in TBI patients by treating their current symptoms, which are predominately migraine- like headaches. This case report illustrates the use of LLLT in the treatment of a patient with a TBI and the great clinical success achieved in the reduction of pain, as measured by VAS—achievable within five treatments of 10 minutes in duration.
1. INTRODUCTION
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) typically occurs when there is any sudden trauma to the skull that induces damage to the brain. There are many causes of TBIs, but unfortunately no documented cures. According to Faul et al., the annual incidence of TBI in the United States is approxi- mately 1.7 million incidents, which account for 30.5% of injury related deaths [1]. The direct and indirect costs of TBI totaled an estimated 76.5 billion dollars in the United States in 2000 [2]. Traumatic brain injuries play a major role in the health care of our nation, especially in our armed forces, where the men and women serving our country are at a higher risk to suffer a TBI.
Treatment is centered on preventing future insult to the brain, but very little can be done to treat the already existing symptoms. These symptoms, as described by the National Institutes of Health, range from mild to severe and include: headaches, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and blurry vision. Current theory on alleviating the symp- toms of TBIs is based on reducing inflammatory and oxi- dative stress and increasing perfusion to support meta- bolic needs [3]. A study by Naeser et al. looked at the use of Near Infra Red (NIR) light for the treatment of TBI, stroke, and neurodegenerative disease. Their results were very promising, showing that nightly treatments with NIR LED over a period of months to years improved cognitive abilities [4]. Furthermore, they showed that the use of NIR light increased ATP production, caused vaso- dilation, and improved perfusion. We believe that the superpulsed 905 nm LLLT system employed in this case study operates through similar mechanisms of action and to support our hypothesis we present a case report of a patient with a traumatic brain injury that was treated with the superpulsed 905 nm LLLT system two years after the injury occurred.