Photobiomodulation improves the frontal cognitive function of older adults

Abstract

Objectives The frontal lobe hypothesis of age‐related cognitive decline suggests that the deterioration of the prefrontal cortical regions that occurs with aging leads to executive function deficits. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a newly developed, noninvasive technique for enhancing brain function, which has shown promising effects on cognitive function in both animals and humans. This randomized, sham‐controlled study sought to examine the effects of PBM on the frontal brain function of older adults. Methods/designs Thirty older adults without a neuropsychiatric history performed cognitive tests of frontal function (ie, the Eriksen flanker and category fluency tests) before and after a single 7.5‐minute session of real or sham PBM. The PBM device consisted of three separate light‐emitting diode cluster heads (633 and 870 nm), which were applied to both sides of the forehead and posterior midline, and delivered a total energy of 1349 J. Results Significant group (experimental, control) × time (pre‐PBM, post‐PBM) interactions were found for the flanker and category fluency test scores. Specifically, only the older adults who received real PBM exhibited significant improvements in their action selection, inhibition ability, and mental flexibility after vs before PBM. Conclusions Our findings support that PBM may enhance the frontal brain functions of older adults in a safe and cost‐effective manner.

Therapeutic potential of intranasal photobiomodulation therapy for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: a narrative review

“…PBMT is widely used to treat a variety of medical conditions such as wound healing, pain and inflammation, diabetic ulcers, blood disorders, musculoskeletal complications, coronary artery disease as well as tissue repair and regeneration (Chung et al, 2012;Arany et al, 2014). Moreover, PBMT has steadily attracted increasing interest for a wide range of applications to the brain, ranging from neurotrauma, neurodegeneration, and neuropsychiatric disorders to enhance brain functions in healthy individuals (Salehpour et al, 2018b;Caldieraro and Cassano, 2019;Chan et al, 2019).…”

Photobiomodulation for Alzheimer’s Disease: Translating Basic Research to Clinical Application

“…Chan et al observed improved frontal cognitive function in older human volunteers (≥60 years) after a single session of PBM [44]. The device used in their study consisted of three LED cluster heads with a mix of 633 nm and 870 nm diodes and a power density of 44.4 mW/cm 2 .…”

Photobiomodulation by diffusing optical fiber on spinal cord: A feasibility study in piglet model

“…It has been shown to activate neurons, promote their metabolic activity, improve the local microenvironment at the site of injury and accelerate axonal growth. In recent years, PBM has been broadly applied in therapy for brain injury and other cerebral diseases such as stroke and neurodegenerative disorders, where it has yielded encouraging results . Similarly, research on SCI has revealed that PBM can suppress the activation of immune cells at the site of injury, reduce the expression of proinflammatory factors and chemokines and reduce the incidence of secondary SCI, as well as promote the large‐scale regrowth of nerve fibers at the site of injury and significantly improve the recovery of locomotor function .…”