The Brain Collective

18/02/2026

🧠 What if the future of brain care isn’t only about injury, but resilience?

A recent study from the University of Utah followed NCAA Division 1 football players across an entire season using advanced diffusion MRI. What they were tracking wasn’t symptoms, but structural stress in the brain.

The findings were striking.
Players using a non-invasive intranasal and transcranial photobiomodulation approach showed little to no increase in tissue stress, while the control group showed measurable injury-related change.

This kind of imaging-based evidence matters. It shifts the conversation away from “wait until damage appears” toward how the brain adapts, copes, and protects itself over time.

At The Brain Collective, this is exactly the kind of research we watch closely.

17/02/2026

🧠 Why studies like this matter

There are still no established treatments for post-COVID cognitive dysfunction.

That’s why careful, well-designed studies exploring non-invasive, function-focused interventions are important.

This new trial doesn’t overpromise. It shows small but measurable cognitive changes, highlights variability in response, and points clearly to the need for further research.

That’s good science.

At The Brain Collective, we sit at the intersection of research, clinical practice, and real-world complexity. Papers like this don’t tell us what to do. They help us think more clearly about how the brain changes, and how it might be supported.

And that’s where progress actually happens.

16/02/2026

We are incredibly proud to announce that The Brain Collective now has a full photobiomodulation light library, including the neuronic LIGHT 1070nm helmet available in clinic and for rental.

This is near-infrared brain stimulation delivered at 1070nm - a wavelength chosen for its deep cortical pe*******on and mitochondrial activation.

Why does that matter?

Because cognition, mood, energy, seep and recovery all rely on cellular metabolism.
And when cells are struggling - whether from stress, concussion, inflammation or simply modern overload - brain performance drops.

Light therapy works at the level of:

• mitochondrial energy production
• neuroinflammation modulation
• cerebral blood flow
• neural network efficiency

This gives us another powerful tool alongside neurofeedback and EEG-guided work.

The brain is electrical.
But it is also metabolic.

Now we can support both. 🧠

12/02/2026

📄 New research on post-COVID cognitive dysfunction

A randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot trial has examined intranasal and transcranial photobiomodulation for cognitive symptoms in post-COVID-19 condition.

Key points worth noting:
• Objective cognitive testing was used
• Improvements were seen particularly in attention
• Safety and feasibility were strong
• Effects were age-dependent and exploratory

Importantly, the authors are clear about limitations and the need for larger trials.

For clinicians, case managers, and referrers, this adds to a growing body of evidence that brain fog reflects functional network disruption, not simply fatigue or psychological factors.

Understanding function matters.

10/02/2026

🧠 “Brain fog” isn’t vague. It’s neurological.

Up to 88% of people with long COVID report problems with attention, memory, and thinking clearly. For many, there’s been very little help available.

A newly published clinical trial in a Lancet journal explored whether a gentle, non-invasive light-based intervention could support cognitive function in people with post-COVID brain fog.

The results were modest but meaningful:
• Objective improvements in attention
• Strongest effects in younger adults
• High safety and adherence

This isn’t a cure.
It won’t work for everyone.
But it reinforces something important.

Cognitive symptoms often reflect how the brain is functioning, not just structural damage. And function can sometimes be supported.

This is why we follow the research closely and take a thoughtful, evidence-informed approach to brain health.

09/02/2026

🧠 Why studies like this matter for the future of brain care
A recently published clinical trial has added to a growing body of evidence that non-invasive, brain-based interventions can produce measurable cognitive change, even in complex conditions like long COVID.

What’s encouraging is not just the outcome, but the restraint.
The authors are clear about limitations, variability in response, and the need for further research.

That’s how good science moves forward.

We’re seeing increasing recognition that:
• brain symptoms can persist without obvious structural injury
• functional measures matter
• gentle, well-guided neuromodulation has a role alongside other approaches

This is not about quick fixes.
It’s about expanding the toolkit for understanding and supporting the brain.

And that’s a conversation worth having.

06/02/2026

For years, many people with brain fog, post-viral symptoms, or persistent cognitive fatigue have been told there’s “nothing structurally wrong.”

What if that was never the right question?

Recent clinical research is increasingly focused on functional brain change, not just structural damage. A new controlled trial has shown that gentle, non-invasive neuromodulation can lead to objective improvements in attention, even months after illness.

This doesn’t replace other care.
It doesn’t apply to everyone.
And it shouldn’t be oversold.

But it does support a broader shift in neuroscience:
Understanding how the brain is working may be just as important as identifying what’s broken.

At The Brain Collective, this is the lens we work through every day.

05/02/2026

🧠 A study worth paying attention to

A newly published randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial has reported measurable cognitive improvements in people experiencing long COVID–related brain fog, using a non-invasive light-based intervention.

What stands out is not just the intervention, but the methodology:
• rigorous trial design
• objective cognitive testing
• cautious, responsible conclusions

The strongest improvements were seen in attention, particularly in adults under 45, highlighting that brain function can remain responsive even after prolonged disruption.

This doesn’t suggest a cure. It doesn’t work for everyone.
But it does reinforce something important.

The brain is a dynamic system. When we support function, regulation, and metabolism thoughtfully, change can still occur.

This direction of research matters.

03/02/2026

🧠 What if changes in the brain show up long before memory problems begin?

New research is pointing to something important.

A recent large review of studies has shown that changes in brain activity, measured using EEG, can appear years before Alzheimer’s disease is typically diagnosed. These changes reflect how the brain is communicating and organising itself, not just visible damage on scans.

What does that mean in plain terms?

The brain often shows signs of strain or dysregulation long before symptoms like memory loss become obvious. Slower brain rhythms and changes in how networks work together may be early signals that the brain is under pressure.

This doesn’t mean EEG diagnoses Alzheimer’s. It doesn’t.
But it does highlight something powerful. Brain health is dynamic. It changes gradually, and those changes can sometimes be detected earlier than we once thought.

At The Brain Collective, we follow this research closely because it reinforces a simple truth. Supporting brain function early, gently, and thoughtfully matters. Understanding how the brain is working today can help guide better decisions tomorrow.

If you’re curious about how brain health is evolving in science and care, please get in touch.

29/01/2026

We often talk about Alzheimer’s as if it begins with memory loss.

The science tells a more complex story.

Research shows that electrophysiological changes can be present years before clinical diagnosis, reflecting early network instability rather than irreversible damage.

Alpha rhythms, for example, don’t simply decline.
They follow a non-linear, stage-dependent trajectory, which helps explain why the literature has seemed contradictory for so long.

The takeaway?

The brain is adapting long before it is deteriorating.

Understanding how it adapts may be just as important as spotting pathology once it’s advanced.

28/01/2026

𝗪𝗵𝘆 “𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿” 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲

A key takeaway from the interview was the warning against simplistic thinking in neurofeedback.

Lower is not automatically better.
One protocol does not fit all.
The brain’s response determines the plan.

That is why individualised optimisation is essential, especially in complex cases like concussion plus trauma symptoms.

At The Brain Collective, we do not follow a one-size approach. We map, track, adjust, and stay clinically grounded in what the brain is actually doing.

Brain training should be precise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyO7pZCqoVs

Roxana Sasu in a conversation with Dr. Judy Carlson, researcher and clinician with decades of experience working with veterans affected by PTSD and TBI. Lear...

26/01/2026

🧠 What if changes in brain function appear before changes in brain structure?

A growing body of research suggests exactly that.

A recent systematic review by Sohrabpour et al. (2025) highlights how EEG and MEG can detect functional brain changes across the Alzheimer’s disease continuum, often before metabolic decline shows up on PET imaging.

One of the most consistent findings is spectral slowing:

Increased delta and theta activity

Reduced alpha and beta activity

These changes reflect shifts in network communication and excitation-inhibition balance, not just downstream damage.

It’s a reminder that the brain doesn’t fail suddenly.

It changes gradually, dynamically, and long before symptoms are obvious.