University of Utah neurologists reported that two former football players, Tom Holmoe and Jim Herrmann, experienced measurable cognitive gains after a 12‑week infrared light therapy regimen. The trial, conducted from November to February,used specialized headsets to deliver photobiomodulation and recorded improvements across most neuro‑psychological tests.

Tom Holmoe’s 66‑year‑old brain shows sharper memory after daily infrared sessions

Holmoe, a retired BYU athletic director and three‑time Super Bowl champion, said he could retrieve lost thoughts more easiily and felt a lasting sense of calm.. He emphasized that the benefits persisted even on a day he felt ill before the second assessment, suggesting the effect was not merely a placebo .

Jim Herrmann joins former champion in reporting no side effects from PBM headsets

Herrmann, a member of BYU’s 1984 national‑championship defensive line, completed the same testing protocol and likewise showed improvement without any adverse reactions. According to the study authors, Dr. Elisabeth Wilde, Dr. Carrie Esopenko, and Dr. hannah Lindsey, the absence of side effects mirrors findings from a 2021 BYU trial.

2021 BYU trial provides a benchmark: 13 active users beat 13 sham controls

The earlier BYU study, which Holmoe helped facilitate as athletic director, documented cognitive and physical gains in 13 players using active photobiomodulation devices, while a matched control group of 13 using sham headsets declined. This prior data gave the new trial a clear comparative framework, reinforcing the significance of the recent results.

Inflammatory markers vanished in participants receiving real infrared treatment

Laboratory analysis revealed that the brains of the two former players showed a striking reduction in inflammatory biomarkers after the therapy, a finding the researchers described as “mind‑blowing.” The reduction aligns with the hypothesized anti‑inflammatory mechanism of photobiomodulation,which is thought to boost cellular energy and dampen neuro‑inflammation.

Who will fund larger, long‑term studies to validate PBM for CTE?

While the trial’s presenters at the Healthy America 2026 conference highlighted the promise of low‑risk, non‑pharmacologic intervention, they also warned that broader studies are needed. The article notes that Vielight founder Lew Lim and the Photobiomodulation Foundation discussed the technology, but no government or major sports league funding has been confirmed.