Individualized spectral filters alleviate persistent photophobia, headaches and migraines in active duty military and Veterans following brain trauma

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Consistent with association between photophobia and headache, growing evidence suggests an underlying causal relationship between light sensitivity and central pain. We investigated whether an intervention to regulate light sensitivity by filtering only wavelengths causing difficulties for the specific individual could alleviate headaches/migraines resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods

Secondary data analysis of a clinical database including N = 392 military personnel (97% men, 3% women), ranging in age from 20 to 51 years, diagnosed with TBI, persistent headaches/migraines, and light sensitivity. The average elapsed time from TBI diagnosis to intervention was 3 years. Headache/migraine severity, frequency, medication use, and difficulties related to daily functioning were assessed pre and 4–12 weeks post-intervention with individualized spectral filters.

Results

Monthly migraine frequency decreased significantly from an average of 14.8 to 1.9, with 74% reporting no migraines post-intervention. Prescription and over-the-counter medication use decreased by more than 70%. Individuals also reported significant improvement in light sensitivity, headaches/migraine severity, and physical and perceptual symptoms.

Conclusions

Wearing individualized spectral filters was associated with symptom relief, increased subjective quality of reported health and well-being, and decreased objective medication use for TBI-related persistent headaches/migraines. These results support a suggested relationship between dysregulated light sensitivity and central regulation of pain.

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• migraine disorders
• headache
• brain concussion
• light sensitivity
• Veterans
• photophobia

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the doctors at the Concussion Care Clinic in Camp Pendleton, to all the servicemen and women who selflessly sacrificed their health and well-being to serve their country, to America’s Fund and Semper Fi Fund for their generous financial contribution towards the recovery of these wounded service members, and to Mauricio Ferreira, PhD, Eugene Oh, and the Hypothesis Group for their analytic contribution.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)

Author contributions

S.T. conceived the study concept and collected data. J.L. and A.A. provided subject area expertise and background information used in the manuscript. M.F. analyzed the data. S.T. wrote the first draft, and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Preliminary findings from this study were presented at the North American Brain Injury Society Conference in New Orleans, LA in March 2020.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2024.2309253.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.