Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26346298›Full record

ReviewNeuropsychiatric disease and treatment2015

Near-infrared photonic energy penetration: can infrared phototherapy effectively reach the human brain?

Theodore A Henderson, Larry D Morries

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 175 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
175citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04660552 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Reducing Autism Symptoms in Children

TypeinterventionalSponsorJelikaLite LLCRan2020 to 2023Enrolled34ConditionsAutism Spectrum DisorderArmsCognilum TM: Light Treatment Condition
NCT06359080 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Reducing Autism Symptoms in Children.

TypeinterventionalSponsorJelikaLite LLCRan2022 to 2022Enrolled25ConditionsAutism Spectrum DisorderArmsCognilum TM: Light Treatment Condition
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

175 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Parkinson's disease, aerobic exercise and photobiomodulation: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2026
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  10. Article
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  12. Review
  13. Real-time motion tracking of a gold implant in water by Cherenkov lights.Journal of applied clinical medical physics · 2026
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  15. Review
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  20. Article

115 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Theodore A HendersonThe Synaptic Space, Centennial, CO, USA ; Neuro-Laser Foundation, Lakewood, CO, USA.
Larry D MorriesNeuro-Laser Foundation, Lakewood, CO, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a growing health concern effecting civilians and military personnel. Research has yielded a better understanding of the pathophysiology of TBI, but effective treatments have not been forthcoming. Near-infrared light (NIR) has shown promise in animal models of both TBI and stroke. Yet, it remains unclear if sufficient photonic energy can be delivered to the human brain to yield a beneficial effect. This paper reviews the pathophysiology of TBI and elaborates the physiological effects of NIR in the context of this pathophysiology. Pertinent aspects of the physical properties of NIR, particularly in regards to its interactions with tissue, provide the background for understanding this critical issue of light penetration through tissue. Our recent tissue studies demonstrate no penetration of low level NIR energy through 2 mm of skin or 3 cm of skull and brain. However, at 10-15 W, 0.45%-2.90% of 810 nm light penetrated 3 cm of tissue. A 15 W 810 nm device (continuous or non-pulsed) NIR delivered 2.9% of the surface power density. Pulsing at 10 Hz reduced the dose of light delivered to the surface by 50%, but 2.4% of the surface energy reached the depth of 3 cm. Approximately 1.22% of the energy of 980 nm light at 10-15 W penetrated to 3 cm. These data are reviewed in the context of the literature on low-power NIR penetration, wherein less than half of 1% of the surface energy could reach a depth of 1 cm. NIR in the power range of 10-15 W at 810 and 980 nm can provide fluence within the range shown to be biologically beneficial at 3 cm depth. A companion paper reviews the clinical data on the treatment of patients with chronic TBI in the context of the current literature.

Indexed as

class IV laserdepressioninfraredsleep disturbanceTBItraumatic brain injury

Identifiers

PMID26346298
PMCPMC4552256

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.