Patent ID: 8303636

Claim:
A method for treating an anxiety disorder with hemispheric asymmetry in a patient comprising identifying a patient with an anxiety disorder; measuring a left hemispheric emotional valence for a left hemisphere of a brain of the patient and a right hemispheric emotional valence for a right hemisphere of the brain of the patient to identify a patient with hemispheric asymmetry; determining which hemisphere of the brain of the patient with hemispheric asymmetry has a more positive valence, and which hemisphere of the brain has a more negative valence; and transcranially applying light energy having a wavelength of between 300 nm to 1500 nm and a power density at the scalp of up to 320 mW/cm 2 to the brain of said patient with the anxiety disorder with hemispheric asymmetry, wherein the light energy is transcranially applied to the lateral forehead to activate the underlying cortex of the brain hemisphere with a more positive valence for a period of at least four minutes, such that the anxiety disorder with hemispheric asymmetry is treated in said patient.