Transcranial Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face several challenges due to deficits in social function and communication along with restricted patterns of behaviors. Often, they also have difficult-to-manage and disruptive behaviors. At the moment, there are no pharmacological treatments for ASD core features. Recently, there has been a growing interest in non-pharmacological interventions for ASD, such as neuromodulation. In this retrospective study, data are reported and analyzed from 21 patients (13 males, 8 females) with ASD, with an average age of 9.1 (range 5–15), who received six months of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) at home using two protocols (alpha and gamma), which, respectively, modulates the alpha and gamma bands. They were evaluated at baseline, after three and six months of treatment using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Home Situation Questionnaire-ASD (HSQ-ASD), the Autism Parenting Stress Index (APSI), the Montefiore Einstein Rigidity Scale–Revised (MERS–R), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the SDAG, to evaluate attention. Findings show that tPBM was associated with a reduction in ASD severity, as shown by a decrease in CARS scores during the intervention (p < 0.001). A relevant reduction in noncompliant behavior and in parental stress have been found. Moreover, a reduction in behavioral and cognitive rigidity was reported as well as an improvement in attentional functions and in sleep quality. Limitations were discussed as well as future directions for research.

Photobiomodulation Attenuated Cognitive Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation in a Prenatal Valproic Acid-Induced Autism Spectrum Disorder Mouse Model

“…Approximately four times as many males as females are diagnosed with ASD [4]. The cause of autism is not clear, but the most widely accepted explanation is that it is a complex neural developmental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the brain network [5]. According to recent studies, one of the most common risk factors for ASD is ongoing neuroinflammation in various brain regions [6,7].…”

Postinfectious Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Sydenham Chorea, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infection, and Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Disorder

“…From research on SARS-CoV-2, we are learning that after an infection, there can be significant and lasting immunological changes, including increases in autoantibodies and other inflammatory processes that reflect a shifted immune system ("Long COVID") [134,135]. Some SARS-CoV-2 patients develop new or aggravated sequelae months to years following remission of their acute COVID-19 symptoms, a process which may also involve coinfection with other viruses (such as Epstein-Barr virus) or reactivation of silent herpes viruses [105]. Given the current prevalence of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and "Long COVID," we can expect that research in this related field will continue to illuminate potential mechanisms of disease as well as alternatives for treatment and prevention.…”

“…Furthermore, many patients with PANS/PANDAS report "brain fog" (i.e., an impaired ability to think clearly), which also occurs in complex sleep disorders such as narcolepsy with cataplexy (NT1) [99] and Kleine-Levin syndrome [100] and has been associated with systemic inflammation among several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome [101], systemic lupus erythematosus disease ("Lupus fog") [102], celiac disease [103], Crohn's disease [104], and COVID-19 [105].…”

Inflammation in obsessive–compulsive disorder: A literature review and hypothesis‐based potential of transcranial photobiomodulation

“…In addition, it is important to consider the potential differences in t‐PBM treatment effects between developing brains in children and fully developed adult brains. While t‐PBM might impact brain connectivity differently in these two groups (Urquhart et al., 2020), studies focusing on t‐PBM applied for other neuropsychiatric disorders with children are scarce (Hamilton et al., 2022; Leisman et al., 2018; Pallanti et al., 2022). Therefore, clinical trials should stratify participants by age to discern any age‐dependent variations in t‐PBM's effectiveness.…”