NCT02383472

LED Therapy for the Treatment of Concussive Brain Injury

Transcranial LED Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 53 (actual)
• Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 11 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

A double blind randomized trial of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy for patients suffering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Patients seen in the Sports Concussion Clinic with cognitive symptoms lasting for greater than 4 weeks will be randomized to either placebo therapy (controls) or treatment with LED therapy (cases). Both cases and controls would complete post-concussion symptom scales Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), and ImPACT studies on entry into the study and at weeks 3 and 6, or earlier if their symptoms resolve before the end of the 6 week period.

Detailed description

Concussion, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), results from a rotational acceleration of the brain. The biomechanical forces which cause concussion lead to the opening of ion channels within the neuronal cell membranes, allowing for a massive influx of sodium and efflux of potassium. This results in a spreading depression type of phenomenon, leading to the depolarization of neurons diffusely throughout the brain.19 In order to restore the homeostatic ion gradients across the membrane, the sodium-potassium pumps require increasing amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Thus, there is an increased need for ATP after concussion. ATP is supplied by the glycolysis of glucose from the blood stream. Both experimental models of concussion and human studies, however, show decreased cerebral blood flow after the initial response to injury. Thus, there is an increased demand for ATP after concussion; but a diminished supply of glucose to meet the demand. The absorption of light in the red/near infrared wavelength spectrum by cytochrome C oxidase increases ATP synthesis. Thus, by increasing ATP synthesis, red/near infrared LEDs can treat the underlying pathophysiological cause of concussion symptoms. If successful, this would be the first therapy to directly treat the underlying pathophysiology of concussion.

Conditions

• Brain Concussion

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	MedX Health Console model 1100	All treatments will be administered using the MedX Health Console model 1100. These units were cleared by the FDA as non-significant risk in 2003 and approved for home treatment use in 2005 "for temporary increase in local blood flow circulation . . . for temporary relief of minor muscle and joint aches." Cluster heads are 2 inches in diameter. Each contains 9 red (633nm wavelength) diodes and 52 near infrared (870 nm wavelength) diodes. LED cluster heads would be applied to the frontal, parietal and temporal areas, as well as the mid sagittal suture line
DEVICE	MedX Health Console model 1100-placebo	The placebo machine is identical in appearance as the treatment machine; It vibrates, warms, and does everything the treatment machine does except it does not have LED lights on the marker, therefore it cannot emit light. Subjects enrolled in the placebo group will be on the same schedule as the treatment group. They will have two, 10 minute treatments, three times a week totaling 18 visits. The placebo allows the researchers to isolate the effect of the study treatment. If patient's in the LED treatment group fare significantly better than those in the placebo treatment group, the study helps support the conclusion that the LED therapy is effective.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-09-01
• Primary completion: 2016-05-01
• Completion: 2016-05-01
• First posted: 2015-03-09
• Last updated: 2018-07-26
• Results posted: 2018-06-29

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States