Exploring how green light exposure can reduce pain from mild traumatic brain injury.
Official title: Identifying the Role of the Periaqueductal Gray in Mediating Traumatic Brain Injury Induced Thermal and Mechanical Hypersensitivity Reduction After Green Light Exposure
Funded at Southern Arizona VA Health Care System · NIH-10951504 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how green light therapy might help military personnel with mild traumatic brain injuries feel less pain by reducing inflammation in the brain, offering a safer option than traditional pain medications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Southern Arizona VA Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2023 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005965-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10951504 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are military personnel and veterans who have experienced mild traumatic brain injury and are suffering from associated pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with chronic pain conditions unrelated to traumatic brain injury may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the effects of green light exposure on pain management for military personnel suffering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). It focuses on the role of the periaqueductal gray, a brain region involved in pain modulation, and aims to understand how reducing neuroinflammation can alleviate pain symptoms associated with mTBI. The study will utilize phototherapy as a non-invasive treatment option, potentially offering an alternative to opioid medications, which carry risks of addiction and side effects. By targeting inflammatory processes in the brain, the research seeks to improve pain outcomes for affected individuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a safer, non-opioid treatment option for managing pain in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.
How similar studies have gone: While phototherapy has been used for various medical conditions, this specific approach targeting mTBI pain is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Southern Arizona VA Health Care System
Tucson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ibrahim, Mohab M — Southern Arizona VA Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Ibrahim, Mohab M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.