In the field: Photosensitivity as a link between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and chronic pain after Traumatic Brain Injury
- Shaun McGillis
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
A clinical study is a research investigation that involves human participants to answer specific health-related questions. These studies are designed to evaluate medical, surgical, or behavioral interventions to determine whether new treatments or approaches are safe and effective.
Clinical studies are also a core element of research at OccHealthSci. Researchers at OccHealthSci conduct and collaborate on clinical studies seeking to understand some of the physiological mechanisms that affect health and wellbeing.
At OccHealthSci, Associate Professor Matthew Butler is a co-investigator of the Department of Defense-funded study: The combat polytrauma triad: Photosensitivity as a link between PTSD and chronic pain after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study is led by OHSU School of Medicine Professor Mary Heinricher and Jonathan Elliott, a Research Physiologist at the VA Portland Health Care System, and Assistant Professor at the School of Medicine. The research team also includes Institute-affiliate faculty member OHSU/VA Professor and Doctor Miranda Lim, School of Medicine Associate Professor Milky Kohno, Doctor Scott Mist and Research Assistants Sophia Swain and Esteban Rigales.
The aim of the study, according to the research team, is to determine whether US Veterans with TBI and PTSD are hypersensitive to light, whether photosensitivity predicts chronic pain status, and how light activates brain areas associated with somatic and central pain in these Veterans.
According to Butler, in a previous study, the research team found that people with brain injury that report symptoms like chronic pain, are much more sensitive to light than those without symptoms and those who never had a brain injury. The team’s findings suggest that light sensitivity could be a measure of hypersensitivity in the brain. The researchers also found, surprisingly, that light sensitivity was associated with whether the participants had PTSD or not.
The research team is in the process of recruiting Veterans to participate in the current study and doing so by heading out to events such as the Hillsboro Veterans Stand Down. Butler noted that the current study is divided into two parts. In the first, Veterans come to the VA where the research team measures their sensitivity to light, sensitivity to pressure, and participants complete surveys on pain, quality of life, and mood. Then, in the second step, Veterans come to the OHSU Advanced Imaging Research Center, where the research team will examine how brain function differs in response to light.
This groundbreaking research has important implications not only for Veterans but for the broader understanding of how sensory processing changes after traumatic brain injury. By identifying photosensitivity as a potential biomarker for chronic pain and exploring its connection to PTSD, the research team contributed to our understanding of these interconnected conditions, which could, in the long run, inform diagnosis and treatment. The study exemplifies OccHealthSci's commitment to translational research that bridges laboratory findings and real-world health outcomes. Understanding these physiological mechanisms could ultimately lead to new therapeutic approaches for the millions of people living with TBI, PTSD, and chronic pain—conditions that significantly impact quality of life, relationships, and the ability to work and participate fully in daily activities.
_________________________________________________________________________This research is funded by the Department of Defense: Number TP22029 (08/15/2023-07/30/2026) This research is funded by the Department of Defense: Number TP22029 (08/15/2023-07/30/2026)