Overview of Traumatic Brain Injuries and Treatments

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can result from head impacts, blast forces, or non-contact injuries like whiplash. They can cause a wide range of neurologic, psychiatric, cognitive, and emotional consequences. TBIs are not limited to sports-related injuries but also occur from accidents and falls, affecting millions of people annually. Current treatment options for TBIs focus on managing symptoms rather than reversing the brain damage. Drugs, cognitive rehabilitation, behavioral therapies, and nutritional supplements are used, but their effectiveness varies. Physical exercise has shown promise in improving cognitive function. Another potential avenue for TBI treatment is infrared light therapy, which has demonstrated positive results in animal models. However, translating these findings to humans requires adequate dosing to deliver light to the target tissue.