Depression
“No one ever told me my concussion could cause depression.”
Again and again, doctors hear these same words from patients. Maybe they saw their sports doctor, went to the emergency room (ER), or saw their primary care physician, or brushed it off and thought their head injury wasn’t a huge deal but when the the headaches and the fatigue extend past a few weeks, few have been prepared for persistent symptoms (even though up to 30% of concussions result in long-lasting symptoms). Even fewer anticipate the emotional changes and mental battles that concussions can bring.
Over 80% of our patients have report suffering psychologically after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), related to mood or personality changes.
Depression is a common mental illness that is widely recognized by its lack of pleasure, fatigue, low mood, and, in severe cases, even suicidal tendencies. As reported in 2017 statistics released by the World Health Organization (WHO), 322 million people worldwide suffer from depression, with an overall prevalence rate of 4.4%, including 5.1% for women and 3.6% for men. Depression can be a significant burden on an individual’s life, and those who suffer from it are more susceptible to developing cardiovascular disease, long-term diseases such as obesity, and other illnesses caused by lifestyle behaviours (e.g., smoking alcohol abuse). Furthermore, depression is a burden on society due to the 20 times higher than usual suicide rate. Sleeping disorders, which are often caused by depression, are often positively correlated with mortality and have a negative impact on patients’ quality of life as the disease progresses. Pharmacological treatments such as tricyclic antidepressant treatment are still the mainstay of treatment for depression today. However, with less than half of all patients worldwide receiving antidepressant treatment [possibly due to side effects and low patient compliance, treating depression remains difficult and challenging. –Qipei et al, 2024.
Families of professional rugby players, football players and athletes who have experienced head injuries, will attest to the significant changes they experience with their loved ones and many contribute failed relationships to anger and mood issues.
If you are an athlete experiencing depression or mood issues or the concerned family member, you are not alone and there is light at the end of the tunnel: Photobiomodulation improves depression symptoms.
Qipei et al conducted a systematic meta-analysis of ten databases, including three thousand two hundred and sixty-five studies and eleven trials. The forest plot results demonstrated that PBMT alleviated depression significantly(SMD = −0.55, 95% CI [−0.75, −0.35], I2 = 46%) with the best improvement for t-PBMT, was achieved using a wavelength of 823 nm, typical of the Vielight devices.\
Psychiatry, 31 January 2024
Sec. Mood Disorders Volume 14 - 2023
According to Qipei at al, the mechanism of action (MoA) for t-PBM has partially been elucidated - transcranial-delivered light is absorbed by mitochondria in brain cells, normalizing mitochondrial function and restoring energy homeostasis. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been liked to conditions such as depression, sleep disturbances, and cognitive impairment.
Under appropriate light irradiance and luminous flux, red and NIR photons (ranging from 600 nm to 1,164 nm), absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) in brain cells, contribute to the normalization of mitochondrial function and an increase in ATP synthesis. This, in turn, has beneficial effects on enhancing cognitive and emotional brain functioning. The beneficial effects of s-PBM on neurons have been well established, even if it is applied to distant locations and not directly to neurons. s-PBM can activate circulating immune cells or stem cells, the mitochondria, and the cardiovascular or the lymphatic system, which then leads to an overall increase in the mitochondrial activity to increase (similar to direct stimulation with t-PBM), resulting in a neuroprotective effect.
PBM is currently garnering considerable attention in neuropsychiatric disorders (39). Evidence indicates that t-PBM can ameliorate depressive symptoms (40), with potential mediation through enhanced cerebral blood flow (31). For instance, Schiffer et al. (31) found that people with major depressive disorder (MDD) complicated by anxiety experienced significant reductions in depression scores after 2 weeks of t-PBM treatment. Clinical studies have demonstrated that s-PBM irradiation of the back and thighs alleviates depressive symptoms in patients with low back pain (41). s-PBM irradiation of the neck and acupuncture points in patients with alcohol addiction also relieves depressive symptoms (42). The use of s-PBM has been shown to relieve depression in patients with low back pain. The FDA has cleared PBM for peripheral pain, and it is gaining popularity as a neuromodulation technique
Schiffer et al. used the t-PBM to treat MDD patients suffering from anxiety disorders and traumatic stress disorders, and the research showed a significant improvement in depression and anxiety in the second and fourth weeks.
Psychologist George Lindenfeld discusses his work with veterans who suffer from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury, with Vielight Neuro technology.