COVID-19 & Long COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global health crisis, causing millions of deaths and confirmed cases. Long COVID, a condition where individuals continue to experience symptoms even after recovering from COVID-19, is estimated to affect 76% of COVID-19 cases six months after the initial infection (The Lancet, 2021).
Neurological symptoms are common in COVID-19 patients, including headaches, confusion, and loss of smell and taste. Researchers are investigating the effectiveness of transcranial photobiomodulation therapy (tPBM), which uses light to stimulate brain cells, in managing neurological symptoms in COVID-19 and Long COVID patients.
A study published in Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery investigated transcranial photobiomodulation therapy (tPBM)'s use in managing cognitive impairment in 20 long COVID patients who received the therapy and 20 patients who did not. The study found that transcranial photobiomodulation therapy (tPBM) significantly improved cognitive function in Long COVID patients as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test.
Overall, transcranial photobiomodulation therapy (tPBM) shows potential in managing neurological symptoms in COVID-19 and Long COVID patients. Its ability to stimulate the brain and improve neurological function makes it an attractive therapy option for individuals experiencing cognitive impairment and other neurological symptoms due to COVID-19.
See the full study on wiley.com
Research
Neuronic device reduces brain fog for Long COVID subjects in a clinical trial
Significant improvements in neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients
PBM reduced the risk of severe body reactions like inflammation, breathing problems, organ failure, nerve damage, and blood clotting that are related to COVID-19.
References
1. Kitchen LC, Berman M, Halper J, Chazot P. Rationale for 1068 nm Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) as a Novel, Non-Invasive Treatment for COVID-19 and Other Coronaviruses: Roles of NO and Hsp70. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 7;23(9):5221. doi: 10.3390/ijms23095221. PMID: 35563611; PMCID: PMC9105035. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9105035/
2. Sabino C.P., Ball A.R., Baptista M.S., Dai T., Hamblin M.R., Ribeiro M.S., Santos A.L., Sellera F.P., Tegos G.P., Wainwright M. Light-based technologies for management of COVID-19 pandemic crisis. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B Biol. 2020;212:111999. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.111999. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7435279/
3. Sigman S.A., Mokmeli S., Monici M., Vetrici M.A. A 57-year-old african american man with severe COVID-19 pneumonia who responded to supportive photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT): First use of PBMT in COVID-19. Am. J. Case Rep. 2020;21:e926779. doi: 10.12659/AJCR.926779. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7449510/
4. Soheilifar S., Fathi H., Naghdi N. Photobiomodulation therapy as a high potential treatment modality for COVID-19. Lasers Med. Sci. 2020;2020:935–938. doi: 10.1007/s10103-020-03206-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7688201/
5. Vetrici M.A., Mokmeli S., Bohm A.R., Monici M., Sigman S.A. Evaluation of adjunctive photobiomodulation (PBMT) for COVID-19 pneumonia via clinical status and pulmonary severity indices in a preliminary trial. J. Inflamm. Res. 2021;14:965–979. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S301625. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7989376/