Chemobrain Breakthrough? Near-infrared Light Pilot Study Shows Striking Cognitive Gains

Welcome to the first Energy Code Deep Dive—daily research reviews translated into real life. Dr. Mike Belkowski and co-host Don Bailey break down a brand-new (Jan 3, 2026) pilot study on transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) for chemobrain (cancer-related cognitive impairment).

We define what chemobrain actually feels like, why there aren’t many proven treatments, and why researchers are exploring 810nm brain-directed light + an intranasal component to support mitochondrial energy (cytochrome c oxidase/ATP), inflammation balance, blood flow, and repair signaling.

Then we walk through the real-world clinical cohort (31 women), the protocol (weekly sessions, ~20 minutes, 10+ sessions), and the eye-opening outcomes: 29/31 improved, average cognitive scores rose dramatically, and a meaningful percentage normalized. We also keep it honest—small sample, retrospective design, no control group—so you know what’s promising now and what still needs randomized trials.

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Article Discussed in Episode:

Transcranial photobiomodulation for the treatment of chemobrain: new perspectives from a pilot study

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Key Quotes From Dr. Mike:

• “It’s like your brain’s running 30 browser tabs and somebody started a video call in the background.”

• “Think of it like giving your brain cells a more efficient ‘charge cycle,’ not by caffeine, but by improving cellular energy production.”

• “This is why device specs aren’t nerd trivia. They’re the difference between a protocol and a placebo.”

• “This pilot study suggests that transcranial photobiomodulation may meaningfully improve chemobrain symptoms… but we still need larger controlled trials.”

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Key points

1. Chemobrain is real: attention, processing speed, verbal fluency, executive function — often lingering for years and impacting daily life.

2. The study reviewed a Jan 3, 2026 pilot exploring tPBM as a potential supportive treatment when proven options are limited.

3. Mechanism focus: light targets mitochondrial function (cytochrome c oxidase → ATP), with downstream effects on inflammation, blood flow, and repair signaling.

4. Cohort: 31 women, average age ~52, post-chemo cognitive impairment; cognition tracked via FACT-Cog.

5. Protocol: 810nm transcranial + intranasal, ~20 min/session, weekly, 10+ sessions; some also used whole-body PBM.

6. Why 810nm: penetration matters; modeling suggests near-optimal depth to reach cortical targets; intranasal may help access harder-to-reach regions.

7. Results were striking: average score improved from ~63 to ~101; 29/31 improved; ~29% normalized into typical range.

8. Limitations & takeaway: retrospective + no control group (can’t rule out time/placebo), but the effect size supports moving toward larger randomized trials and reinforces that parameters/device specs matter.

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Episode timeline

00:00 – Welcome to the first Energy Code Deep Dive + Don’s role as the “question-asker”

01:30 – What is chemobrain (symptoms + what it feels like day-to-day)

04:00 – Why treatment options are limited (the “brutal part”)

05:30 – What transcranial photobiomodulation is (plain-English translation)

07:30 – Biology: cytochrome c oxidase, ATP, inflammation, blood flow, repair signaling

10:00 – Study design + who they studied (31 women, France, post-chemo, FACT-Cog)

12:30 – Real-life impacts (reading, admin work, conversations, driving, fatigue, sleep)

14:30 – Protocol details (810nm, intranasal, weekly 20 min, 10+ sessions, some whole-body)

17:00 – Why 810nm + why intranasal (penetration + access)

19:00 – Results (63 → 101, 29/31 improved, ~29% normalized, QoL changes)

21:30 – Mood/anxiety/depression findings + interpretation

23:00 – Mechanisms: chemo injury pathways vs PBM supportive pathways

25:30 – Limitations (small sample, retrospective, no control, can’t split brain vs whole-body)

27:30 – Safety notes + “what do I do with this?” (talk to clinician; parameters matter)

29:00 – One-sentence takeaway + close (“Protect your energy / mitochondria”)

- Dr. Mike's #1 recommendations: Deuterium depleted water: Litewater (code: DRMIKE) EMF-mitigating products: Somavedic (code: BIOLIGHT) Blue light blocking glasses: Ra Optics (code: BIOLIGHT) Grounding products: Earthing.com -

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