Six photobiomodulation mechanisms, applied transcranially — and the open question of dose-response once you account for scalp and skull.
Coming soon. We'll write up the six PBM mechanisms as they apply to cortex — cytochrome c oxidase activation and ATP production, nitric oxide release driving cerebral blood flow, ROS hormesis, neuroplasticity and BDNF, anti-inflammation, and mitochondrial biogenesis. Plus the Hadanny 2025 double-blind RCT (significant cognitive improvement at 40 sessions of tPBM combined with HBOT at 1.5 ATA), Naeser MA et al. on transcranial PBM in chronic TBI, and the still-open question of how much fluence actually reaches cortex once skull attenuation is honestly accounted for. The underlying photobiology is shared with our deep-tissue NIR write-up — this page will focus on what's specific to the brain.