Significant Improvement in Cognition in Mild to Moderately Severe Dementia Cases Treated with Transcranial Plus Intranasal Photobiomodulation: Case Series Report

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated whether patients with mild to moderately severe dementia or possible Alzheimer's disease (AD) with Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) Baseline scores of 10–24 would improve when treated with near-infrared photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy. Background: Animal studies have presented the potential of PBM for AD. Dysregulation of the brain's default mode network (DMN) has been associated with AD, presenting the DMN as an identifiable target for PBM. Materials and methods: The study used 810 nm, 10 Hz pulsed, light-emitting diode devices combining transcranial plus intranasal PBM to treat the cortical nodes of the DMN (bilateral mesial prefrontal cortex, precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, angular gyrus, and hippocampus). Five patients with mild to moderately severe cognitive impairment were entered into 12 weeks of active treatment as well as a follow-up no-treatment, 4-week period. Patients were assessed with the MMSE and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) tests. The protocol involved weekly, in-clinic use of a transcranial-intranasal PBM device; and daily at-home use of an intranasal-only device. Results: There was significant improvement after 12 weeks of PBM (MMSE, p < 0.003; ADAS-cog, p < 0.023). Increased function, better sleep, fewer angry outbursts, less anxiety, and wandering were reported post-PBM. There were no negative side effects. Precipitous declines were observed during the follow-up no-treatment, 4-week period. This is the first completed PBM case series to report significant, cognitive improvement in mild to moderately severe dementia and possible AD cases. Conclusions: Results suggest that larger, controlled studies are warranted. PBM shows potential for home treatment of patients with dementia and AD.

Neuroprotective effect of a new photobiomodulation technique against Aβ25–35 peptide–induced toxicity in mice: Novel hypothesis for therapeutic approach of Alzheimer's disease suggested

“…Replicating this alleviated AD phenotype in other preclinical models will be our next step to support clinical investigations. It is however worthy of note to acknowledge that multiple studies have demonstrated that transcranial PBM is safe and well tolerated [7,[53][54][55] and clinical investigations have been already reported [10,12]. Finally, the hypothesis that a dual mechanism of action is involved opens new perspectives for the treatment of AD by widening the therapeutic approach limited up to now by a too reductionistic logic.…”

Near infrared low‐level laser therapy and cell proliferation: The emerging role of redox sensitive signal transduction pathways

“…Studies performed on healthy volunteers have showed that LLLT can improve human cognitive and emotional brain functions . Similarly, a single‐blind pilot trial on 19 patients with mild cognitive impairment has reported a significant memory improvement and cognitive function after 12 weeks of LLLT treatment .…”

Optical and thermal simulations for the design of optodes for minimally invasive optogenetics stimulation or photomodulation of deep and large cortical areas in non-human primate brain

“…This approach consists in illuminating large volume of tissues with red or near infrared light to stimulate non-specifically the cells via mechanisms that are thought to involve absorption by cytochrome-oxydase and further activation of the mitochondria metabolism. The technique is under active review for use in a vast range of brain diseases including stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, where the non-specific optical stimulation of the cortical tissue was shown in mice models to lead to transient increase of ATP, decrease of inflammatory markers and -in some studies-cognitive improvement (reviews in [17,18] and first studies in humans of the use of PBM to alleviate Alzheimer's disease symptoms in [19]). …”