Modifying Alzheimer’s Disease Pathophysiology with Photobiomodulation: Model, Evidence, and Future with EEG-Guided Intervention
Abstract:
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major public health problem all over the world. Therapeutic strategies have been explored for several decades, but no curative treatment has been developed (1). Although the FDA has recently approved lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla) for treating cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s disease, their efficacy is modest, with potential side effects like amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), and their long-term impact on disease progression remains uncertain, particularly in advanced stages (2, 3). However, these drugs represent a significant advancement by objectively reducing amyloid beta (Aβ) markers, which purportedly slow disease progression in patients with early-stage AD, marking an important first step toward more effective therapies.
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Unleashing light’s healing power: an overview of photobiomodulation for Alzheimer’s treatment
Abstract:
Aim: Photobiomodulation involves the use of low-level light therapy or near-infrared light therapy found to be useful in the treatment of a wide range of neurological diseases.
Objective: The aim is to review the mechanism and clinical applications of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) in managing Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: To ensure that the consensus statement accurately reflects both the experts’ viewpoint and the most recent developments in the field, the expert opinions were recorded and thoroughly reviewed.
Results: PBMT elicits reduction of beta-amyloid plaque, restoration of mitochondrial function, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties with a stimulation in ATP synthesis.
Conclusion: The PBMT could be helpful in patients non-responsive to traditional pharmacological therapy providing significant aid in the management of Alzheimer’s disease when introduced into the medical field.
Effects of Photobiomodulation Therapy on Muscle Function in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Abstract
Background: In people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), muscle fatigue and weakness are common issues that can interfere with daily activities. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), comprising light in a 600-1100 nm bandwidth, is a low-level laser therapy thought to improve muscle performance in non-disease populations, in part, by improving mitochondrial function and thus, might be beneficial in pwMS. Given this potential, we aimed to investigate the effects of PBMT on muscle performance in pwMS, both in the short-term and over an extended period.
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Transcranial Photobiomodulation for the Brain: A Wide Range of Clinical Applications
Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is a rapidly growing approach to the healing, stimulation, protection, and regeneration of many human organs and tissue types. PBMT started in the 1960s as low-level laser therapy for wound healing, but since then the introduction of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has dramatically increased the number of applications and reports of positive results. PBMT generally uses red (620–700 nm) and/or near-infrared (780–1270 nm) wavelengths of light at an intensity that causes no tissue heating, and its activity is based on well-established biological and cellular mechanisms (de Freitas and Hamblin, 2016). While laser therapists continue to use various types of laser in their office practice, LEDs are ideally suited for home use devices because they are completely safe and without any known significant adverse effects. Among the various body parts on which PBMT has been shown to exert beneficial effects, the brain stands out as perhaps the most promising overall. PBMT has been shown to reduce neuroinflammation, while increasing mitochondrial function, oxygen consumption, and blood flow within the brain (Hamblin, 2016). Moreover, PBMT can stimulate the processes of synaptogenesis, neurogenesis, and neuroplasticity thus helping the brain to heal itself. PBMT has neuroprotective activity and can prevent brain damage in the acute phase after traumatic brain injury or stroke, because it inhibits apoptosis and upregulates the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, as well as improving brain metabolism and oxygenation. In the chronic phase, PBMT can improve memory, cognitive function, mood, and sleep quality. In degenerative brain disorders (dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease), PBMT can improve motor, cognitive and social functioning (at least for some time). In a range of psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and opioid addiction), PBMT can lead to significant improvements (Salehpour et al., 2018). This perspective will outline the mechanisms of action of PBMT on cells and tissues, and summarize the wide range of current applications to the brain, while proposing some new directions in psychiatry.
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Recent Advances in Photobiomodulation Therapy for Brain Diseases
Abstract
Light therapy techniques, such as photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and laser photoablation, have gained widespread attention and become indispensable physiotherapy methods in clinical practice. PBMT involves the application of low-level laser/LED to modulate the function of nerve cells, relieve neuroinflammation, promote neurogenesis and vascular growth. Recent studies have shown that PBMT holds promise as a complementary or alternative treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), major depressive disorder (MDD), etc. However, the therapeutic effect of PBMT is influenced by various factors, such as the patients’ condition, brain structure and function, illumination parameters, etc. Therefore, the optimized parameters, personalized therapeutic schedules, and precise evaluation of the therapeutic effect are crucial to the treatment success. In this review, we identified the recent experimental and clinical successes, existing obstacles, and future opportunities for PBMT in the treatment of the brain diseases. As a non-invasive, side-effect-free, and highly accessible technique, PBMT brings a glimmer of light for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and the neuro-rejuvenation of human brains.
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PBM successfully treating Covid-related Brain Fog
Robert Bowen and Praveen R. Arany
Shepherd University, West Virginia University, and University at Buffalo
March 28, 2023
Abstract:
There is increasing recognition of post-COVID-19 sequelae involving chronic fatigue and brain fog for which Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has been utilized. This open-label, pilot, human clinical study examined the efficacy of two PBM devices – e.g., a helmet (1070 nm) for transcranial (tPBM); and a light bed (660 and 850 nm) for whole body (wbPBM) over a four-week period, with 12 treatments for two separate groups (n = 7 per group). Subjects were evaluated with a neuropsychological test battery including Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), digit symbol substitution test (DSST), trail-making tests A and B, physical reaction time (PRT); and a quantitative electroencephalography system (WAVi), Pre- and Post- the treatment series. Each device for PBM delivery was associated with significant improvements in cognitive tests (p < 0.05 and beyond). Changes in WAVi supported the findings. This study outlines the benefits of utilizing PBM therapy (transcranial or whole-body) to help treat long COVID brain fog.
Can Transcranial Photobiomodulation Improve Cognitive Function? A Systematic Review of Human Studies
Abstract
Background: Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) has been studied for over a decade as a possible cognitive intervention.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of tPBM for enhancing human cognitive function in healthy adults and remediating impaired cognitive function in adults with cognitive disorders.
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