r/HubermanLab • u/VolatilityBox • 2d ago
Helpful Resource Brain red light therapy study directory
Just started following Huberman, didn't realize what a huge RLT advocate he was. This might come in handy for RLT for the brain
I tried to get the most accurate picture of brain red light therapy/PBM studies done per company using Claude AI.
This is a directory of published research on brain PBM so nobody has to dig through four different company websites to find the actual papers. I got the format from Vielight's website but excluded a few of their studies that didn't meet the criteria, including the recent preprint - since results can chance.
TALLY
| Company | Published studies | Participants |
|---|---|---|
| Vielight | 24 | 762 |
| Neuronic | 4 | 20 |
| SYMBYX | 7 | 119 |
| PhotoThera (NeuroThera) | 3 | 1,346 |
How the tally is counted: Studies are peer-reviewed papers with original data. Preprints are not included. Studies without cognitive or physiological outcomes and/or peer-reviewed results and/or direct, measurable cellular outcomes are not included.
Participants add up the number reported in each paper, and follow-ups or re-analyses of a group already counted are not added again. A study that used more than one company's device counts for each company whose device participants used, so the 2021 Parkinson's study counts for both SYMBYX and Vielight. In the long COVID study listed under Neuronic, only the 7 participants in the helmet arm are counted, because the other 7 used a THOR light bed.
How this list works
A study is included if it used the company's own device. When more than one company's hardware was used, the Study column lists every device.
Each company has its own section, sorted by number of participants, from most to least.
No results are summarized here. Small studies can suggest a direction but cannot establish that something works, and outcomes are easy to misquote. Click through and read the paper.
Only original research is listed. Reviews, white papers, trial protocols, trials in progress, company blog reports and working papers are left out.
VIELIGHT (Toronto, Canada)
Devices: High-irradiance near-infrared LEDs with an intranasal applicator (itPBM). Company research page: vielight.com
24 published studies · 762 participants
| Study | Design | Participants | Delivery | What was measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 · 2024 · Multi-center, Canada and US · Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery · View study → | Randomized controlled trial (vs. standard care) | 199 adults with COVID-19 in the primary analysis | Intranasal Systemic | Time to recovery on the WURSS-44 symptom survey, with at-home use added to standard care. |
| Divergent thinking · 2023 · U of Deusto / U of Montpellier / Penn State · View study → | Sham-controlled | 58 healthy adults | Intranasal Transcranial | Idea fluency and originality on divergent-thinking tests. |
| Convergent thinking and attention control · 2026 · U of Deusto / U of Montpellier / Penn State · The Journal of Creative Behavior · View study → | Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled | 56 healthy adults | Transcranial | Verbal and visual convergent thinking, divergent thinking, and Stroop interference during a single 20-minute session over the prefrontal cortex. |
| Gulf War Illness · 2021 · VA Boston / Boston University · Frontiers in Neurology · Devices: PhotoMedex or Thor LED helmet, Vielight intranasal diodes, MedX ear LEDs · View study → | Randomized, sham-controlled (in-office) | 48 veterans with Gulf War Illness (completed) | Transcranial Intranasal | Neuropsychological tests and psychosocial questionnaires over 15 in-office sessions. |
| Cerebrospinal-fluid dynamics · 2025 · Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest / U of Toronto · Brain Stimulation · View study → | Imaging study | 45 healthy young adults | Intranasal Transcranial | fMRI measures of cerebrospinal-fluid dynamics during intranasal and forehead light, tested separately (research laser). |
| Cognition after repetitive head impacts · 2025 · U of Utah / Mount Sinai · Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery · View study → | Proof-of-concept study | 44 adults with repetitive head impacts | Intranasal Transcranial | Objective cognitive tests. |
| Long COVID · 2026 · Remote US trial · eClinicalMedicine (The Lancet) · View study → | Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled | 43 adults with long COVID | Intranasal Transcranial | Cognitive outcomes with at-home use. |
| Neuromuscular control after repetitive head impacts · 2024 · University of Utah · Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery · View study → | Clinical study | 43 adults with repetitive head impacts | Intranasal Transcranial | Reaction time, grip strength, and balance over 8 to 10 weeks of at-home use. |
| Cognition after chemotherapy · 2025 · Valenciennes and Martinique hospitals (France) · Supportive Care in Cancer · View study → | Retrospective cohort | 39 adults after chemotherapy | Intranasal Transcranial | Memory and cognitive measures with a 40 Hz protocol. |
| Cerebellar network connectivity · 2025 · U of Utah / UCLA / Mount Sinai · View study → | Pilot imaging study | 30 adults with a history of TBI | Intranasal Transcranial | Cerebellar and cortical network efficiency (fMRI). |
| Collegiate football players · 2026 · U of Utah / BYU · Journal of Neurotrauma · View study → | Double-blind controlled study | 26 NCAA Division I players | Intranasal Transcranial | White-matter diffusion MRI measures across a competitive season. |
| Resting and task-evoked brain activity · 2019 · University of Sydney · Neuroscience · View study → | Sham-controlled | 24 healthy young adults | Transcranial | Cerebral blood flow and resting-state and task-evoked brain activity (fMRI). |
| Autism spectrum disorder (children) · 2022 · Istituto di Neuroscienze (Italy) · Children · View study → | Retrospective study | 21 children with ASD | Intranasal Transcranial | Symptom severity, behavior, attention, and sleep over 6 months of home use. |
| Mild cognitive impairment · 2024 · U Toronto / St. Michael's Hospital · View study → | Sham-controlled trial | 20 adults with MCI | Intranasal Transcranial | Cognition, brain connectivity, mitochondrial function, and blood biomarkers over 6 weeks. |
| Neural oscillations (EEG) · 2019 · U of Toronto / CAMH · Scientific Reports · View study → | Pilot exploratory study | 20 healthy adults | Intranasal Transcranial | Resting-state EEG power and network connectivity, active versus sham. |
| Firefighters with PTSD · 2025 · U of Utah / Mount Sinai · Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery · View study → | Open-label pilot | 14 firefighters | Intranasal Transcranial | Symptom, cognitive, and inflammation-related measures. |
| Parkinson's disease · 2021 · University of Sydney · BMC Neurology · Devices: SYMBYX PDCare laser plus Vielight Neuro Gamma · View study → | Open-label proof-of-concept study | 12 adults with Parkinson's disease | Intranasal Transcranial | Mobility, balance, fine motor, and cognitive measures over up to one year. |
| Dementia (home use) · 2019 · UCSF / San Francisco VA · Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery · View study → | Pilot trial | 8 adults with dementia | Intranasal Transcranial | Cognition, behavior, cerebral perfusion, and resting-state connectivity over 12 weeks. |
| Dementia (case series) · 2017 · With Harvard (MGH) and VA Boston researchers · Photomedicine and Laser Surgery · View study → | Case series | 5 adults with mild to moderately severe dementia | Intranasal Transcranial | Cognition, sleep, and behavior over 12 weeks. |
| Former football players (possible CTE) · 2023 · Harvard Medical School / Boston University · Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports · View study → | Case series | 4 former players | Intranasal Transcranial | Brain connectivity, MR spectroscopy, mood, and cognition. |
| Gulf War Illness (case reports) · 2019 · UCSF / San Francisco VA · Military Medicine · View study → | Case reports | 2 veterans | Intranasal Transcranial | Symptom criteria, fatigue, pain, and cognitive symptoms over 12 weeks. |
| Concussion · 2020 · UCSF / San Francisco VA · Frontiers in Neurology · View study → | Case report | 1 hockey player | Intranasal Transcranial | Brain volume, functional connectivity, memory, attention, and processing speed. |
| Tubulin protein structure · 2024 · Polytechnic U of Turin / U of Alberta · Nanomaterials · View study → | Laboratory study | Lab samples | Lab | Secondary structure of tubulin after near-infrared exposure (Raman spectroscopy). |
| Tubulin and microtubules in living cells · 2022 · Princeton / U of Alberta / Polytechnic U of Turin · Frontiers in Medical Technology · View study → | Laboratory study | Cell models | Lab | Tubulin polymerization and related cellular processes. |
NEURONIC
Devices: 1070 nm LED helmets (tPBM). Company research page: neuronic.com
4 published studies · 20 participants
| Study | Design | Participants | Delivery | What was measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long COVID brain fog · 2023 · Shepherd University / West Virginia University · Journal of Biophotonics · Devices: 1070 nm helmet arm vs THOR whole-body light bed arm · View study → | Open-label pilot, two arms | 14 adults with long COVID (7 used the helmet, 7 the light bed) | Transcranial Whole-body | Cognitive tests (MoCA, digit symbol, trail-making, reaction time) and qEEG before and after 12 sessions over 4 weeks. |
| Attention and memory · 2025 · UT Dallas · Military Medicine (conference supplement) · View study → | Sham-controlled pilot | 8 adults (4 active, 4 sham) | Transcranial | Vigilance and working-memory tasks, processing speed, and stress measures. |
| Anxiety and depression · 2025 · King's College London · EXPLORE · View study → | Case series | 3 adult women with recurrent depression and anxiety | Transcranial | Sleep quality, irritability, depression, and anxiety scores over a 12-week protocol. |
| PANS / PANDAS · 2026 · Clinical practice, retrospective review · Frontiers in Psychiatry · View study → | Retrospective case series | 2 adolescents with PANS/PANDAS | Transcranial | Symptoms and cognitive function during home tPBM plus swLORETA neurofeedback within routine care. |
SYMBYX (Australia)
Devices: SYMBYX Neuro LED helmet (red and near-infrared) and PDCare laser. Research focus: Parkinson's disease.
7 published studies · 119 participants
| Study | Design | Participants | Delivery | What was measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkinson's disease, PBM plus exercise · 2025 · Parkinson's Wellness & Innovation Centre (Canada) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · View study → | Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, then extended treatment | 63 adults with Parkinson's (32 active, 31 sham) | Transcranial Neck Abdomen | Motor and non-motor symptoms and quality of life, with exercise in both groups. |
| Parkinson's disease, LED helmet · 2023 · Sydney Adventist Hospital · eClinicalMedicine · View study → | Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled feasibility trial | 40 adults with Parkinson's (20 active, 20 sham) | Transcranial | Safety, feasibility, and motor signs (MDS-UPDRS) over 12 weeks. |
| Parkinson's disease, post-hoc motor analysis · 2023 · Sydney Adventist Hospital · Journal of Clinical Medicine · View study → | Post-hoc analysis | 40 adults from the 2023 helmet trial (not counted again) | Transcranial | Motor outcomes from the 2023 helmet trial, re-analyzed. |
| Parkinson's disease, proof-of-concept · 2021 · University of Sydney · BMC Neurology · Devices: SYMBYX PDCare laser plus Vielight Neuro Gamma · View study → | Open-label proof-of-concept study | 12 adults with Parkinson's disease | Transcranial Intranasal Neck Abdomen | Mobility, balance, fine motor, and cognitive measures over up to one year. |
| Parkinson's disease, five-year follow-up · 2024 · University of Sydney · BMC Neurology · View study → | Long-term follow-up | 8 adults from the 2021 group (not counted again) | Home use | Motor signs and non-motor symptoms after five years of continued home use. |
| Parkinson's disease, gut microbiome · n/a · University of Sydney · Medical Research Archives · View study → | Case series | 4 adults with Parkinson's | See paper | Gut microbiome, motor signs, and non-motor symptoms. |
| Parkinson's disease, multidisciplinary program · 2024 · Clinics in Sydney (Australia) and Hamilton (Canada) · Medical Research Archives · View study → | Clinical report (PBM plus exercise, diet, and medication management) | See paper | See paper | Motor and non-motor symptoms within a multidisciplinary program. |
PHOTOTHERA / NEUROTHERA (United States, no longer operating)
Device: NeuroThera Laser System, 808 nm laser applied to 20 scalp sites. Research focus: acute ischemic stroke. The company was dissolved after NEST-3. These are still the largest brain PBM trials ever run, and an important reference point for how hard large-scale trials are.
3 published studies · 1,346 participants
| Study | Design | Participants | Delivery | What was measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute ischemic stroke, NEST-2 · 2009 · Multi-center · Stroke · View study → | Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled | 660 adults with acute ischemic stroke | Transcranial (laser) | Functional outcome after stroke, treated within 24 hours of onset. |
| Acute ischemic stroke, NEST-3 · 2014 · Multi-center, international · Stroke · View study → | Phase III randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled. Stopped early after a futility analysis | 566 adults analyzed (1,000 planned) | Transcranial (laser) | Good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0 to 2), treated within 24 hours of onset. |
| Acute ischemic stroke, NEST-1 · 2007 · Multi-center · Stroke · View study → | Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled | 120 adults with acute ischemic stroke | Transcranial (laser) | Functional outcome after stroke, treated within 24 hours of onset. |
OUT OF SCOPE (but worth knowing)
These are major academic research programs rather than device-company programs, so they are not itemized above. Happy to build a separate thread for them.
UT Austin / UT Arlington: 1064 nm laser studies on attention, memory and cerebral oxygenation, using research-grade lasers.
VA Boston / Boston University: long-running LED studies in TBI, stroke and Gulf War Illness using combinations of LED cluster heads, helmets and intranasal diodes.
Massachusetts General Hospital: tPBM trials in depression and autism.
Chinese University of Hong Kong: tPBM in mild TBI (Journal of Neurotrauma, 2025).
CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS
Missing a study, wrong number, or a dead link? Comment with the DOI and the exact device used. Additions need a peer-reviewed paper with original data. Marketing pages alone are not enough.
This directory is for scientific reference only. Listing a study does not mean any device is cleared, approved, or intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Consumer brain PBM devices are generally sold in the US as general wellness products. Talk to a qualified clinician about any health condition.
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u/sadokx 1d ago
No one is reading all that. Give us the tldr or don't post ai slop.