Published Research
We highly encourage potential users to research photobiomodulation independently as well as with the assistance of a healthcare professional. Below, you will find case studies that we have found helpful in understanding the technology and the potential benefits of photobiomodulation.
Study of Transcranial Photobiomodulation at 945-nm Wavelength: Anxiety and Depression “Transcranial photobiomodulation with a wavelength of 945 nm, irradiation with LEDs in the frontal region, more specifically in the frontal sinus region, provided improvement in the brain activity of photobiostimulated individuals, reducing the number of individuals who had sufficient score for anxiety, reducing values for depression, and increasing the number of individuals with lower score for the HAD scale. Therefore, it may be a viable complementary tool for the treatment of anxiety and depression. Research is still needed for a larger number of participants to complete this study.” “Central nervous system diseases such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis can be fatal or cause sequelae, affecting sensorimotor and cardiorespiratory systems and quality of life. These subjects present a low response to aerobic and resistance exercise, due to decreased recruitment of muscle fibers and reduction of metabolic capacity. Aerobic exercises bring benefits in terms of fatigue retardation, gait improvement, regulation of the autonomic nervous system, neuroprotection of the brain, stimulation of the production of endogenous neutrotransmitters related to general well-being, and a favoring of neuroplasticity. Photobiomodulation (PBM Therapy) (previously known as low-level laser therapy), and especially transcranial PBM Therapy, has shown benefits in animals and humans such as cognitive improvement, memory, and behavioral improvement, including attenuation of depression and anxiety, and increased cortical oxygenation.” Transcranial Photobiomodulation For The Management Of Depression: Current Perspectives “Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent condition associated with high rates of disability, as well as suicidal ideation and behavior. Current treatments for MDD have significant limitations in efficacy and side effect burden. FDA-approved devices for MDD are burdensome (due to repeated in-office procedures) and are most suitable for severely ill subjects. There is a critical need for device-based treatments in MDD that are efficacious, well-tolerated, and easy to use… Theoretically, t-PBM penetrates into the cerebral cortex, stimulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and also significantly increases cerebral blood flow. Animal and human studies, using a variety of t-PBM settings and experimental models, suggest that t-PBM may have significant efficacy and good tolerability in MDD.” “Since PBM has shown positive effects on postoperative complications of other types of oral surgery[7,8] and also has a positive effect on bone repair after maxillary disjunction, surgically assisted or not,[10,11] it seems clear the need to evaluate its performance regarding pain, edema, and paresthesia after these surgeries. In addition, maxillary disjunction surgeries reach large anatomical areas involving intra and extraoral structures, so it also seems clear that there is a need to evaluate the performance of LED sources that can reach larger areas in the same application and combine wavelengths that are absorbed by superficial and deeper tissues.”
“The results of this study support the hypothesis that photobiomodulation therapy applied to the surgical incision in the postoperative period reduces acute pain and inflammation in patients after hip arthroplasty. Previous studies using laser therapy and the visual analog scale as a means of evaluation also reported less pain in the post-surgical period, corroborating the results of this study.” Shining light on the head: Photobiomodulation for brain disorders “Many investigators believe that PBM for brain disorders will become one of the most important medical applications of light therapy in the coming years and decades. Despite the efforts of “Big Pharma”, prescription drugs for psychiatric disorders are not generally regarded very highly (either by the medical profession or by the public), and many of these drugs perform little better than placebos in different trials, and moreover can also have major side-effects [117]. Moreover it is well accepted that with the overall aging of the general population, together with ever lengthening life spans, that dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases will become a global health problem [118], [119]. Even after many years of research, no drug has yet been developed to benefit these neurodegenerative disorders. A similar state of play exists with drugs for stroke (with the exception of clot-busting enzymes) and TBI. New indications for tPBM such as global ischemia (brain damage after a heart attack), post-operative cognitive dysfunction [120], and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder may well emerge.”
Brain Photobiomodulation Therapy: a Narrative Review “Brain photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy using red to near-infrared (NIR) light is an innovative treatment for a wide range of neurological and psychological conditions. Red/NIR light is able to stimulate complex IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (cytochrome c oxidase) and increase ATP synthesis. Moreover, light absorption by ion channels results in release of Ca2+ and leads to activation of transcription factors and gene expression. Brain PBM therapy enhances the metabolic capacity of neurons and stimulates anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant responses, as well as neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. Its therapeutic role in disorders such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease, as well as to treat stroke, brain trauma, and depression has gained increasing interest. In the transcranial PBM approach, delivering a sufficient dose to achieve optimal stimulation is challenging due to exponential attenuation of light penetration in tissue.” “Results from this small study suggest that transcranial plus intranasal NIR PBM therapy may be safely used with mild to moderately severe dementia and AD (baseline MMSE of 10–24). Results showed significant improvement in cognition, functional abilities for daily living, and improved QoL. PBM was very well tolerated, exhibiting no adverse effects.” Transcranial plus Intranasal Photobiomodulation in Mild to Moderately-Severe Dementia “Results: There was significant cognitive improvement after 12 weeks of PBM (MMSE, p<0.003; ADAS-cog, p<0.023). Fewer angry outbursts, better sleep, better daily functioning, less anxiety and wandering were reported. There were no negative side effects. Precipitous declines were observed during the 4-week, no treatment period, a possible problem for future studies. Here, following their completion of study participation each case was given his/her own PBM devices to keep.” “This study provides new knowledge on the phototherapy and EXT to improve the pain in FM patients. However, a more substantial effect was noticed for the combined intervention in FM patients, in which these clinical effects have contributed to improve VAS instrument, FIQ scores, sleeping disorders, and quality of life. Consequently, the findings of this trial are predicted to provide evidence regarding the role of phototherapy and EXT as well as a combined intervention in a multimodal management program for FM patients.” “This clinical case-series presents incidental findings on the effects of PBM-therapy on problematic LBP [l patients with concurrent depression. The use of PBM to large areas of the skin might have beneficial effects as part of a multi-modal treatment approach specifically targeted to depressed patients.” “Modulating the severity of neuropathic pain by simply applying red light is an exciting prospect with great significant clinical relevance, despite not yet fully understanding the mechanism behind photobiomodulation. Our data demonstrates that red light treatment, a non-invasive and cost effective treatment, is able to significantly reduce the severity of pain in rats acutely after spinal cord injury, and these behavioural changes are accompanied by alterations to the alternatively activated macrophage population. Early pain intervention is considered important to avoid the prospects of developing chronic pain [54]. As 670 nm light therapy is FDA approved, it could be quickly adopted as an adjunct to early treatment of spinal cord injury. Not only could this minimise the severity of pain to sufferers, it may also provide collateral benefits which include functional improvements to other sensory/motor systems.” “PBMT triggers positive effects acting in different ways, including increase of microcirculation, cytochrome c oxidase modulation and ATP synthesis, besides modulating some inflammatory biomarkers. Thus, if PBMT is able to modulate inflammatory mediators in non-specific low back pain, patients with increased levels of these mediators might be more responsive and consequently benefit more with the use of therapy.” Effect of photobiomodulation therapy (808 nm) in the control of neuropathic pain in mice “Literature currently suggests that PBM has effective action in reducing painful processes, highlighting that the possible PBM mechanisms of action in the production of analgesia can be attributed to the modulation of the inflammatory process, change of the excitation and conduction of the peripheral nerves, and by the stimulation in the increase of the endorphin synthesis.” “In this study, regularly applied PBMT at 10 to 20 J/cm2 per joint for 6 wk resulted in improved lameness and pain scores, and allowed a reduction in NSAID dose in dogs with naturally occurring elbow OA compared with similar patients receiving sham therapy. These results are consistent with studies examining PBMT effects in the human knee OA, experimental tendonitis in sheep, and canine cruciate repair pain.” “PBMT during the chronic phase of MIA-induced OA promoted cartilage recovery and reduced the progression or maintenance of spinal cord sensitization. Our data suggest a potential role of PBMT in reducing cartilage degradation and long-term central sensitization associated with chronic OA.” “PBMT has demonstrated positive effects in stimulating cellular activities involved in the wound healing process. The action of PBMT is based on the absorption of light by the tissues, which generates modifications in cellular metabolism and alter the exchange of calcium through the cell membrane. These PBMT-promoted alterations may enhance the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and cell cycle regulatory proteins, stimulating cell proliferation and connective tissue reestablishment during tissue repair and wound healing.” Low-intensity LED therapy (658 nm) on burn healing: a series of cases “Five patients with skin burns were submitted to photobiomodulation by LED, GaAsIP diode, (λ 658 nm) with 40 mW, 7 J/cm2 on every other day. Biopsies of burned skin were performed and the healing process was photographed. Patients with bilateral burns were used as self-control, having one limb being irradiated and the contralateral limb irradiated with placebo. The burns treated with LED showed higher epithelization, with keratinocytes and fibroblasts proliferation, increased collagen synthesis, decreased pain, and pruritus. In conclusion, there was a faster clinical improvement in the irradiated limbs.” “... we believe that the present project is a major step toward the widespread use of PBMT as an ergogenic agent for not only increasing performance but also decreasing losses incurred by detraining. These factors have a direct impact on clinical practice, not only to athletes but also to patients in physical rehabilitation programs, when performing aerobic endurance training is not possible.” “... our results demonstrated that preexercise PBMT as a stand-alone therapy was able to improve different functional aspects related to athletic performance and biochemical markers related to muscle damage and inflammatory process in high-level athletes. In addition, it is important to highlight that preexercise PBMT had an interesting antioxidant effect, being able to decrease exercise-induced oxidative stress, which suggests that this might be one of the possible mechanisms of action through which PBMT promotes ergogenic effects and protective effects to skeletal muscles. It is very likely that the sum of the different mechanisms of action was determinant for the therapy to improve aerobic endurance and postexercise recovery.” “Photobiomodulation therapy associated with exercise seems to be a valuable alternative to improve muscular performance, and consequently, reduce the recovery time between exercise sessions. The beneficial effects could be observed in both untrained individuals and athletes, which means that this intervention could be an alternative to shorter rehabilitation processes for patients and also for better performance in sports, which could be observed from the data and author’s conclusions of the most studies included in this systematic review.” In vitro and in vivo optimization of infrared laser treatment for injured peripheral nerves “Numerous peer reviewed studies have established the efficacy of PBM for treatment of peripheral nerve injury. Reviews of the relevant literature demonstrate that different wavelengths can support peripheral nerve injury repair. The majority of the wavelengths used in these studies were in the 600–904 nm range 6, 7. Wavelengths longer than 904 nm typically have not been used for peripheral nerve repair and their effects in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration have not been adequately researched. Recently, 940 nm wavelength irradiation was used to treat a crush injury of the rat sciatic nerve 11. The results were positive with a reported reduction in edema and inflammation and increased functional recovery on post‐injury days 7, 14, and 21 based on the sciatic function index (SFI)." Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: A Systematic Review “At the end of the present study, it can be seen that the data presented in the current articles helped us to understand the beneficial and helpful effects of photobiomodulation on regeneration and functionality after nerve injury. In spite of the great variety of parameters presented, great results were observed, mainly when related to the faster nervous regeneration process.” “Based on the results, it can be concluded that the therapeutic window of photobiomodulation, with wavelength (632.8 to 940 nm), power (5 to 170 mW), energy density (3 to 280 J/cm2), and energy (0.70 J to 1.141 J), has positive effects on the process of nerve regeneration, peripheral and neuromuscular repair, through the expression of cytokines and growth factors aiding in the modulation of the inflammatory process, improvement of the morphological aspects and restoration of the functionality of the animals in a short period. The studies also demonstrate that the nerve crush injury model is the most used to study the properties of photobiomodulation, highlighting photobiomodulation therapy as the most used therapeutic modality among the studies.” “The present findings show changes of molecules that play an important role during peripheral nerve regeneration and confirmed that the selected PBM pattern was sufficient to accelerate the rate of recovery of injured peripheral nerve. Finally, based on the expression of nerve regeneration markers, morphological parameter changes, and previous behavioral tests, we showed that the PBM could offer a potential proregenerative environment and beneficial results to peripheral nerve repair. We hope that these results can be used to improve the current treatments using PBM in new integrated treatment strategies.” “Our data indicate that photobiomodulation is an effective, low-toxicity treatment for CIPN. Nearly 90% of patients experience significant improvement in mTNS scores that begins within weeks of initiating treatment and persists for at least 10 weeks after the conclusion of therapy. The benefits appear to accrue similarly to patients with variable duration and intensity of neuropathy symptoms, as well as to patients with variable chemotherapy exposures.” “It appears the use of tPBMT with pulsed LEDs may improve cognitive function and decrease the rCBF deficits associated with chronic TBI. The statistical improvements in so many aspects of neuropsychological functioning and brain perfusion with a sample of 12 suggest a treatment effect that is worthy of further investigation. Considering the cost/benefit ratio and convenience of LEDs, the economic, health, and social impact of tPBMT with LEDs in the treatment of TBI could be substantial.” “The subject of this case study is a 29-year-old woman who suffered a brainstem stroke. She remained severely dizzy, had a non-functional left hand secondary to weakness, severe spasticity in the right hand, a right lateral sixth nerve palsy and was unable to ambulate on presentation. The stroke occurred 2 years before presentation. The subject had been treated for 21 months at two different stroke rehabilitation centres before presentation. Our stroke protocol includes photobiomodulation administered with the XR3T-1 device and ‘muscle/bone/joint/soft tissue’ recovery techniques. The patient was seen once a week for 8 weeks and treatment sessions lasted approximately 60 min. The results were dramatic: after 8 weeks of implementation of our protocol, the patient demonstrated positive change in every area of her deficits as determined by improvements in physical examination findings. The gains achieved at 8 weeks have been maintained to this day and she continues to be treated once every 4 weeks.” “A small number of chronic mTBI cases (n=11), with nonpenetrating brain injury from diverse etiologies (motor vehicle accident [MVA], sports-related accident, work or home accident, and blast TBI) all improved by at least+1 SD on the Stroop test for executive function, and/or verbal learning and memory on the CVLT, post-LED therapy. Group statistical analyses with linear trend analysis showed significant improvements over time (out to 2 months post-LED) on the Stroop test for executive function – inhibition (p<0.004); inhibition switching (p<0.003); and verbal learning and memory – CVLT-II, Total Trials 1–5 (p<0.003) and Long Delay Free Recall (p<0.006). In addition, patients who had symptoms compatible with PTSD at entry into the study reported either a clinically meaningful decrease, or a reliable decrease in symptoms post-LED therapy.” “It appears the use of tPBMT with pulsed LEDs may improve cognitive function and decrease the rCBF deficits associated with chronic TBI. The statistical improvements in so many aspects of neuropsychological functioning and brain perfusion with a sample of 12 suggest a treatment effect that is worthy of further investigation. Considering the cost/benefit ratio and convenience of LEDs, the economic, health, and social impact of tPBMT with LEDs in the treatment of TBI could be substantial.” “NIR wavelengths (800–900 nm) can penetrate through scalp and skull (2–3%, ∼1 cm). These NIR wavelengths have the potential to improve the subnormal, cellular activity of compromised brain tissue by increasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in the mitochondria, and increasing regional cerebral blood flow.”