Light Therapy Boosts Working Memory by 10%, Study Finds

Researchers at the University of Birmingham (UK) and Beijing Normal University (China) have found that transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) therapy can improve short-term working memory by around 10%. The non-invasive treatment uses near-infrared light applied to the right prefrontal cortex, a key brain region for memory and attention.

Improvements Seen Within Minutes

The study showed that working memory improved after just a few minutes of treatment. Brain activity was monitored in real time using electroencephalography (EEG), which revealed measurable changes during and after the intervention.

Dongwei Li, visiting PhD student at Birmingham’s Centre for Human Brain Health and co-author of the study, explained:

“People with conditions such as ADHD or other attention-related disorders could benefit from this therapy. It’s safe, simple, non-invasive, and has no known side effects.”

Rigorous Testing Against Placebo

To ensure the effect was genuine, 90 male and female participants aged 18–25 underwent multiple variations of the therapy. Some received light at a wavelength of 1064 nm on the right prefrontal cortex, others at shorter wavelengths or on the left prefrontal cortex, and all participants also experienced a sham (inactive) treatment to eliminate placebo bias.

The EEG data was analysed in Birmingham, confirming that improvements in working memory correlated with specific neural activity changes.