Transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) is a promising new approach for the treatment of a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, traumatic brain injury and neurodevelopmental disorders. With this treatment, a device fitted with light emitting diodes (LEDs) or lasers is used to deliver low energy to the head, usually the forehead. Previous studies have demonstrated that near-infrared light (NIR) travels through the skull, penetrates into the cerebral cortex, stimulates the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and increases cerebral blood flow. Photomodulation with NIR appears to have pro-metabolic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects and can also stimulate neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.
Preliminary data suggests t-PBM may be efficacious in improving cognition in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). At this point, there are few effective and tolerable options for the treatment of cognitive impairment. Thus, near-infrared t-PBM, if effective, would represent a low-cost, accessible, and user-friendly intervention. Paolo Cassano, MD, PHD, Director of the Brain Photobiomodulation Clinic at Mass General, and his research group are currently recruiting for a study that will test the efficacy, safety, and impact of tPBM on cognitive functioning in a group of adults with mild AD or with mild cognitive impairment.
In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, individuals with mild AD or MCI will receive 24 sessions of t-PBM delivered over 8 weeks. In addition to examining cognitive functioning, the researchers will also explore the mechanisms of t-PBM. Specifically, they will use PET scanning to assess baseline tau burden (measured with 18F-MK6240), and MRS scanning to test whether t-PBM affects mitochondrial function over 8 weeks (measured 31P-MRS). They will also use changes in the fMRI Blood-Oxygenation-Level-Dependent (BOLD) signal after a single treatment to demonstrate t-PBM-dependent changes in prefrontal cortex blood flow.
You can learn more about this study and how to participate HERE on the Mass General Brigham Rally research study website.
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Iosifescu DV, Song X, Gersten MB, Adib A, Cho Y, Collins KM, Yates KF, Hurtado-Puerto AM, McEachern KM, Osorio RS, Cassano P. Protocol Report on the Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Alzheimer’s Disease (TRAP-AD) Study. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Jul 13;11(14):2017.
Dr. Paolo Cassano is the Director of the Brain Photobiomodulation Clinic at Mass General and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cassano has led multiple studies on transcranial photobiomodulation with near-infrared light for anxiety and mood disorders, including translational studies aimed at discovering the mechanisms of action of photobiomodulation. His translational studies have focused on the effects of near-infrared light on mitochondria, cerebral blood flow, brain electrical activity, and autonomic reactivity.
