{"id":50208,"date":"2025-04-09T23:53:58","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T03:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/?p=50208"},"modified":"2025-09-30T16:39:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T20:39:29","slug":"exploring-a-new-frontier-in-first-responder-wellness-transcranial-intranasal-photobiomodulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/blog\/exploring-a-new-frontier-in-first-responder-wellness-transcranial-intranasal-photobiomodulation\/","title":{"rendered":"PTSD and Cognition Published Clinical Study: Transcranial-Intranasal Photobiomodulation | Vielight Neuro"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1144px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p data-start=\"326\" data-end=\"602\"><strong data-start=\"326\" data-end=\"340\">Reference:<\/strong> Tate, J., Lindsey, A., Wilde, L. (2025). <em data-start=\"382\" data-end=\"469\">Photobiomodulation for Cognitive Function and Wellness in Firefighters: A Pilot Study<\/em>. <em data-start=\"471\" data-end=\"525\">Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery<\/em>. <a class=\"cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liebertpub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/15578550251362096#utm_source=FastTrack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=photob\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"527\" data-end=\"602\"><strong>DOI: 10.1177\/15578550251362096<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"607\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"609\" data-end=\"638\">Why This Study Matters<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"639\" data-end=\"734\">Firefighters endure extreme stress, traumatic events, and irregular schedules that can lead to:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"735\" data-end=\"872\">\n<li data-start=\"735\" data-end=\"773\">\n<p data-start=\"737\" data-end=\"773\"><strong data-start=\"737\" data-end=\"751\">Poor sleep<\/strong> and chronic fatigue<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"774\" data-end=\"797\">\n<p data-start=\"776\" data-end=\"797\"><strong data-start=\"776\" data-end=\"795\">Persistent pain<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"798\" data-end=\"824\">\n<p data-start=\"800\" data-end=\"824\"><strong data-start=\"800\" data-end=\"822\">Mood dysregulation<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"825\" data-end=\"846\">\n<p data-start=\"827\" data-end=\"846\"><strong data-start=\"827\" data-end=\"844\">PTSD symptoms<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"847\" data-end=\"872\">\n<p data-start=\"849\" data-end=\"872\"><strong data-start=\"849\" data-end=\"870\">Cognitive decline<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"874\" data-end=\"1015\">Traditional wellness strategies\u2014counseling, fitness, therapy\u2014help, but may not fully address the <strong data-start=\"971\" data-end=\"1014\">neurological impact of sustained stress<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1017\" data-end=\"1271\">Researchers at the University of Utah investigated a new, non-invasive approach: <strong data-start=\"1098\" data-end=\"1140\">transcranial-intranasal photobiomodulation (itPBM)<\/strong> \u2014 delivering near-infrared light to the brain through the nose and scalp using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/devices\/vielight-neuro-gamma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vielight Neuro Gamma<\/a> to promote cellular health, reduce inflammation, and support brain network function.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1273\" data-end=\"1276\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"1278\" data-end=\"1305\">How the Study Worked<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"1306\" data-end=\"1897\">\n<li data-start=\"1306\" data-end=\"1383\">\n<p data-start=\"1308\" data-end=\"1383\"><strong data-start=\"1308\" data-end=\"1325\">Participants:<\/strong> 16 active-duty male firefighters (ages 25\u201358, mean ~43)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1384\" data-end=\"1646\">\n<p data-start=\"1386\" data-end=\"1420\"><strong data-start=\"1386\" data-end=\"1397\">Device:<\/strong> Vielight Neuro Alpha<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1423\" data-end=\"1646\">\n<li data-start=\"1423\" data-end=\"1469\">\n<p data-start=\"1425\" data-end=\"1469\"><strong data-start=\"1425\" data-end=\"1440\">Wavelength:<\/strong> 810 nm near-infrared light<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1472\" data-end=\"1497\">\n<p data-start=\"1474\" data-end=\"1497\"><strong data-start=\"1474\" data-end=\"1489\">Modulation:<\/strong> 10 Hz<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1500\" data-end=\"1646\">\n<p data-start=\"1502\" data-end=\"1646\"><strong data-start=\"1502\" data-end=\"1520\">Configuration:<\/strong> Four transcranial LED clusters targeting default mode network hubs + one intranasal LED targeting ventral prefrontal cortex<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1647\" data-end=\"1756\">\n<p data-start=\"1649\" data-end=\"1664\"><strong data-start=\"1649\" data-end=\"1662\">Schedule:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1667\" data-end=\"1756\">\n<li data-start=\"1667\" data-end=\"1693\">\n<p data-start=\"1669\" data-end=\"1693\">20 minutes per session<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1696\" data-end=\"1721\">\n<p data-start=\"1698\" data-end=\"1721\">3\u20134 sessions per week<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1724\" data-end=\"1756\">\n<p data-start=\"1726\" data-end=\"1756\">8 weeks total (~25 sessions)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1757\" data-end=\"1897\">\n<p data-start=\"1759\" data-end=\"1897\"><strong data-start=\"1759\" data-end=\"1776\">Measurements:<\/strong> Standardized tests for PTSD symptoms, pain interference, mood disturbance, fluid cognition, and reintegration readiness.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-start=\"1899\" data-end=\"1902\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"1904\" data-end=\"1930\">Results at a Glance<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableContainer_1rjym_1\">\n<div class=\"_tableWrapper_1rjym_13 group flex w-fit flex-col-reverse\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<table class=\"w-fit min-w-(--thread-content-width)\" data-start=\"1932\" data-end=\"2579\">\n<thead data-start=\"1932\" data-end=\"2035\">\n<tr data-start=\"1932\" data-end=\"2035\">\n<th data-start=\"1932\" data-end=\"1950\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Outcome Measure<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"1950\" data-end=\"1971\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Baseline Mean (SD)<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"1971\" data-end=\"1998\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Post-Treatment Mean (SD)<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"1998\" data-end=\"2008\" data-col-size=\"sm\">p-Value<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"2008\" data-end=\"2035\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Effect Size (Cohen\u2019s d)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody data-start=\"2140\" data-end=\"2579\">\n<tr data-start=\"2140\" data-end=\"2224\">\n<td data-start=\"2140\" data-end=\"2169\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><strong data-start=\"2142\" data-end=\"2168\">PTSD Checklist (PCL-5)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2169\" data-end=\"2183\">28.9 (12.0)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2183\" data-end=\"2196\">17.4 (8.4)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2196\" data-end=\"2204\">0.003<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2204\" data-end=\"2224\"><strong data-start=\"2206\" data-end=\"2222\">1.08 (large)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2225\" data-end=\"2313\">\n<td data-start=\"2225\" data-end=\"2256\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><strong data-start=\"2227\" data-end=\"2255\">PROMIS Pain Interference<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2256\" data-end=\"2269\">57.0 (7.5)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2269\" data-end=\"2282\">51.8 (7.4)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2282\" data-end=\"2290\">0.018<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2290\" data-end=\"2313\"><strong data-start=\"2292\" data-end=\"2311\">0.72 (moderate)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2314\" data-end=\"2406\">\n<td data-start=\"2314\" data-end=\"2348\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><strong data-start=\"2316\" data-end=\"2347\">NIH Toolbox Fluid Cognition<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2348\" data-end=\"2363\">102.0 (12.0)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2363\" data-end=\"2378\">108.8 (11.5)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2378\" data-end=\"2386\">0.009<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2386\" data-end=\"2406\"><strong data-start=\"2388\" data-end=\"2404\">0.83 (large)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2407\" data-end=\"2498\">\n<td data-start=\"2407\" data-end=\"2441\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><strong data-start=\"2409\" data-end=\"2440\">Mood Disturbance (POMS-TMD)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2441\" data-end=\"2454\">41.7 (8.2)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2454\" data-end=\"2467\">36.0 (7.0)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2467\" data-end=\"2475\">0.012<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2475\" data-end=\"2498\"><strong data-start=\"2477\" data-end=\"2496\">0.74 (moderate)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2499\" data-end=\"2579\">\n<td data-start=\"2499\" data-end=\"2525\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><strong data-start=\"2501\" data-end=\"2524\">Reintegration Index<\/strong><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2525\" data-end=\"2538\">85.2 (8.0)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2538\" data-end=\"2551\">90.7 (6.7)<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2551\" data-end=\"2559\">0.007<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2559\" data-end=\"2579\"><strong data-start=\"2561\" data-end=\"2577\">0.84 (large)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"sticky end-(--thread-content-margin) h-0 self-end select-none\">\n<div class=\"absolute end-0 flex items-end\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-start=\"2581\" data-end=\"2660\"><strong data-start=\"2581\" data-end=\"2596\">Compliance:<\/strong> Over 90% attendance rate<br data-start=\"2621\" data-end=\"2624\" \/><strong data-start=\"2624\" data-end=\"2644\">Adverse Effects:<\/strong> None reported<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2662\" data-end=\"2665\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"2667\" data-end=\"2689\">What This Means<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2690\" data-end=\"2770\">The therapy led to <strong data-start=\"2709\" data-end=\"2766\">statistically and clinically significant improvements<\/strong> in:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2771\" data-end=\"2947\">\n<li data-start=\"2771\" data-end=\"2796\">\n<p data-start=\"2773\" data-end=\"2796\">PTSD symptom severity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2797\" data-end=\"2829\">\n<p data-start=\"2799\" data-end=\"2829\">Daily life pain interference<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2830\" data-end=\"2884\">\n<p data-start=\"2832\" data-end=\"2884\">Problem-solving, memory, and cognitive flexibility<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2885\" data-end=\"2908\">\n<p data-start=\"2887\" data-end=\"2908\">Emotional stability<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2909\" data-end=\"2947\">\n<p data-start=\"2911\" data-end=\"2947\">Readiness for social reintegration<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2949\" data-end=\"3066\">The effect sizes were <strong data-start=\"2971\" data-end=\"2992\">moderate to large<\/strong>, meaning these improvements are likely noticeable in real-world settings.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3068\" data-end=\"3071\" \/>\n<h3 data-start=\"3073\" data-end=\"3097\">Why It\u2019s Exciting<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"3098\" data-end=\"3298\">\n<li data-start=\"3098\" data-end=\"3149\">\n<p data-start=\"3100\" data-end=\"3149\"><strong data-start=\"3100\" data-end=\"3120\">Safe &amp; drug-free<\/strong> \u2014 no reported side effects<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3150\" data-end=\"3197\">\n<p data-start=\"3152\" data-end=\"3197\"><strong data-start=\"3152\" data-end=\"3170\">Time-efficient<\/strong> \u2014 20 minutes per session<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3198\" data-end=\"3298\">\n<p data-start=\"3200\" data-end=\"3298\"><strong data-start=\"3200\" data-end=\"3223\">Portable &amp; scalable<\/strong> \u2014 possible integration into fire stations, clinics, and wellness centers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3300\" data-end=\"3428\">While this was a <strong data-start=\"3317\" data-end=\"3346\">small, uncontrolled pilot<\/strong>, it\u2019s a strong signal that <strong data-start=\"3374\" data-end=\"3413\">larger randomized controlled trials<\/strong> are warranted.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3430\" data-end=\"3433\" \/>\n<blockquote data-start=\"3435\" data-end=\"3620\">\n<p data-start=\"3437\" data-end=\"3620\"><em data-start=\"3437\" data-end=\"3620\">&#8220;If tPBM can improve resilience, cognition, and recovery in firefighters, its potential for other high-stress professions\u2014like healthcare workers, police, and veterans\u2014is enormous.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51792,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"bwfblock_default_font":"","inline_featured_image":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2775,3109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-acuity","category-ptsd"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vielight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}