Treatment option: Vielight, Bioflex, and Photobiomodulation
Cutting-edge therapies that are probably a glimpse into the future
Lasers, Brains, and Laser Brains
In his excellent book, The Brain’s Way of Healing, Dr. Norman Doidge devotes a section to recent advances (over the past 20 years) in therapies involving lasers. By the time I finished reading it, I was beginning to think about lasers in the same terms Homer Simpson thinks about doughnuts: LASERS, is there anything they CAN’T do?
In the book, after a patient undergoes brain surgery to remove a tumor (surgery that doesn’t involve lasers) she’s left in an almost completely debilitated state. Her symptom profile is not unlike someone who’s suffered a traumatic brain injury. She suffers from sensory overload and has great difficulty with physical movements and speech. Her life becomes very small because her disabilities force her to stay in her apartment most of the time.
This patient soon achieves a fairly miraculous recovery after receiving a series of laser treatments from a doctor in Toronto. That doctor is Fred Kahn, a traditional surgeon whose pioneering work with lasers led to the founding of Bioflex, a medical device company that makes several kinds of laser-based devices used in a variety of treatments for different areas of the body, including the brain.
This patient’s story inspired me to look into the world of laser therapies, which now includes everything from the dubious cheap lasers anyone might buy on Amazon, to the more legitimate devices and treatments being developed by firms like Bioflex, Vielight, and others.
What could (laser) light do?
When I first delved into this, I found myself being totally compelled, then totally skeptical. I mean, we’re talking about shining laser light on people’s bodies and brains. What could it possibly do?
Well, lasers have the unique ability to deliver light within very specific wavelengths, and researchers have figured out (and are continuing to refine) which biological mechanisms are activated by which wavelengths of light.
Near-infrared light applied to the brain appears to have several positive effects, including increased blood flow, increased energy production, reduced inflammation, and increased tissue repair.
These effects come from the light and the biological and neurological mechanisms triggered and activated by the application of the light. For example, the way a specific wavelength of light pulsed at a specific frequency can cause the production of ATP.
At present, several legitimate university and VA studies are underway with these devices, not just with post-concussion patients, but with people suffering from a wide variety of neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
As a former hockey player, one result at UCSF that sounded promising involved a former hockey player who had suffered long-term post-concussion syndrome and tried many other treatments previously, including a chiropractic neurology clinic.
I have to pause here to say: I wouldn’t start applying any old laser to my head because, obviously, not all lasers are the same, and some could even be dangerous (looking at you, cat laser pointers). This discussion about the benefits of lasers is confined to the ones mentioned here by name.
Bioflex
The aforementioned Bioflex sells a personal system that can be used at home, and I imagine it might be especially useful for someone who’s suffered whiplash. It bends easily to wrap around the back of the neck.
If you live in or near Toronto, there are several clinics in the area that now use Bioflex lasers for a variety of treatments. However, most of them focus on musculoskeletal issues.
The Bioflex site does allow you to search for practitioners near you who use Bioflex devices. As with any other type of treatment one might explore, expect huge variations in experience and quality from one practitioner to another. Caveat emptor.
If one were interested in receiving targeted Bioflex laser treatments (such as the treatment described in The Brain’s Way of Healing), one might consider reaching out to Bioflex, which appears to operate a clinic of its own in Toronto.
Vielight
Vielight makes devices specifically for the brain. One of their innovations is the use of intranasal diodes that can shine specific forms of light inside the skull through the nose.
Vielight’s Neuro devices aren’t simply shining laser light continuously, they are pulsing that light at specific frequencies (40 times per second, or 10 times per second, for example).
Using light in this pulsed way is similar to the way pulsed electromagnetic waves are used in therapies such as transcranial magnetic stimulation.
With TMS, the frequency of the pulse causes neurons to fire at the same frequency. This has been proven to help patients relieve and even end the symptoms of clinical depression.
Since TMS is FDA approved for its positive effects on the brain, and since the mechanism of action with pulsed laser photobiomodulation is similar, I’m guessing devices like Vielight’s will one day receive approval, and it seems they’re already working toward that.
When I looked into Vielight, I found a study underway at the University of Utah with former American football players, and the video testimonials from these players was both moving and convincing. Here’s a video about the study.
My own speculations about Vielight and the brain’s default mode network
This part is pure speculation on my part, but I think it’s worth saying.
You may have read Michael Pollan’s book, “How to Change Your Mind” which is a deep exploration of the impact psychedelics have on the brain and mind. He interviews researchers at leading institutions, many of whom are actively engaged in ongoing research.
One of the subjects that comes up repeatedly in the book is the way psychedelics dampen the brain’s default mode network. This dampening is what makes it possible to activate other neural networks, including the ones involved in the psychedelic experience.
It’s been speculated that people with post-concussion syndrome have problems activating their default mode network. When there’s damage or dysfunction within any one of the areas in the brain that is involved in that network, it makes it difficult to activate it without creating signal “noise” (thus, one has a “noisy brain” which one might also describe as a mix of fog and agitation).
Neural networks are rhythmic in nature. It’s as if different areas of the brain are functioning as members of a band. When they hit the same chord at once, a kind of harmony is achieved, and that particular neural network is activated.
To think of it another way, imagine building a collection of circuits with one of those basic circuit building kits made for children. What happens when one of the circuits in the chain gets removed? None of the circuits can work, because the current can’t flow properly from one to the next.
When an aberrant signal happens in the brain temporarily, as it does when someone takes psychedelics, it leads to a wide array of experiences, which could be good or terrible depending on the set and setting one is in. When the drug wears off, the neurotypical person’s default mode network steadily becomes active again.
As I read Pollan’s book, I couldn’t help but think that a companion book was needed—one that was all about restoring and strengthening one’s default mode network. The diodes on the Vielight Neuro are aimed at the areas of the brain involved in the default mode network.
Wrapping up
Over the past few decades, the use of laser light for medical applications has grown increasingly sophisticated and is now employed in a wide variety of treatments. The applications for the brain appear to be incredibly promising, but they are still emerging. Studies have shown positive results, and additional studies with specific patient populations are underway—including patients who’ve had a history of concussions or mTBI.
Bioflex products for personal use are geared toward treating musculoskeletal issues, but the Bioflex clinic in Toronto may be able to provide more targeted treatments (of the type described in The Brain’s Way of Healing). You could also try the Bioflex practitioner locator, but proceed with appropriate caution.
Vielight makes devices that can be worn like a kind of helmet, along with intranasal diodes. The Vielight Neuro device employs photobiomodulation at the rates of 40Hz or 10Hz. In that way, the effect is likely similar to the effects produced by TMS devices (including the NeoRhythm).
One can still join studies looking at the effectiveness of the Vielight Neuro device on specific patient populations (including one study looking at Alzheimer’s). Or one could simply buy a device of one’s own.
Brainwave is an informational resource for people whose symptoms haven’t resolved after a concussion or mTBI. I endeavor to present this information in a clear and concise way, spelling out what’s backed by science and what remains unknown. Nothing here is meant as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I am not a physician or a healthcare practitioner of any kind; I’ve simply had a lot of sports-related concussions and had to learn this stuff the hard way. If you found this information helpful or know someone who might benefit from it, please share and subscribe to Brainwave.