Devices used for photobiomodulation of the brain—a comprehensive and systematic review

 Hasn't your competent? doctor been using this for years? Oh, you don't have a competent doctor or hospital, do you?

 

Well fuck, we really need someone to write and distribute a protocol on this. All this previous research; OR ARE WE WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM?     

• photobiomodulation (10 posts to September 2012)

 

A new treatment protocol using photobiomodulation and muscle/bone/joint recovery techniques having a dramatic effect on a stroke patient's recovery: a new weapon for clinicians Sept. 2012      

 

Interplay between up-regulation of cytochrome-c-oxidase and hemoglobin oxygenation induced by near-infrared laser June 2017      

 

Photobiomodulation therapy promotes neurogenesis by improving post-stroke local microenvironment and stimulating neuroprogenitor cells Oct. 2017    

Increased Functional Connectivity Within Intrinsic Neural Networks in Chronic Stroke Following Treatment With Red/Near-Infrared Transcranial Photobiomodulation: Case Series With Improved Naming in Aphasia November 2019

The latest here which of course NOTHING will happen with.  Your stroke hospital is completely fucking incompetent.

 

Devices used for photobiomodulation of the brain—a comprehensive and systematic review

• Filipa Fernandes,
• Sofia Oliveira,
• Francisca Monteiro,
• Michael Gasik,
• Filipe S. Silva,
• Nuno Sousa,
• Óscar Carvalho &
• Susana O. Catarino 

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation volume 21, Article number: 53 (2024) Cite this article

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Abstract

A systematic review was conducted to determine the trends in devices and parameters used for brain photobiomodulation (PBM). The revised studies included clinical and cadaveric approaches, in which light stimuli were applied to the head and/or neck. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were used for the systematic search. A total of 2133 records were screened, from which 97 were included in this review. The parameters that were extracted and analysed in each article were the device design, actuation area, actuation site, wavelength, mode of operation, power density, energy density, power output, energy per session and treatment time. To organize device information, 11 categories of devices were defined, according to their characteristics. The most used category of devices was laser handpieces, which relate to 21% of all devices, while 28% of the devices were not described. Studies for cognitive function and physiological characterisation are the most well defined ones and with more tangible results. There is a lack of consistency when reporting PBM studies, with several articles under defining the stimulation protocol, and a wide variety of parameters used for the same health conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease) resulting in positive outcomes. Standardization for the report of these studies is warranted, as well as sham-controlled comparative studies to determine which parameters have the greatest effect on PBM treatments for different neurological conditions.

Background

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a non-invasive therapy that entails the use of red to infrared (IR) light (wavelengths of 600 to 1100 nm) to stimulate cellular processes that promote tissue healing and regeneration [1,2,3]. Additionally to being studied and used as a therapy for pain relief [4, 5], wound healing and skin rejuvenation [6, 7], the neuromodulation effects of PBM, when applied to the scalp, have been increasingly more studied, with several clinical studies showing that it could be a safe, non-invasive, and non-destructive alternative to conventional treatments for various neurological disorders.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) studies have shown that PBM can effectively increase cerebral oxygenation, which has a great impact on cognitive tasks, such as memory and attention, among others [8,9,10,11,12,13]. For traumatic brain injury (TBI), there are several case studies in which patients exhibited improvement in symptoms, measured through standard neurological tests and self-assessments [14,15,16,17,18]. PBM has also reduced depression symptoms in patients diagnosed with depression disorder [19,20,21,22]. For neurodegenerative conditions, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD), several studies showed improvements in cognition, quality of life, and clinical signs of these conditions [23,24,25,26]. Specifically, a randomized controlled trial on the effects of transcranial PBM in patients diagnosed with PD showed improvements in gait, further establishing the relevance of this therapy for neurodegenerative conditions [27].

The effect of PBM on the brain has been studied to understand the mechanisms behind these positive results and to determine which parameters are more beneficial in these treatments. Although brain PBM has been studied for more than two decades, there is great variability in studies using distinct PBM parameters for the same neurological pathologies, such as wavelength, mode of operation (i.e., continuous or pulsed), area of actuation and energy delivered to the head. Often, authors point out the need for further research to confirm methods to establish PBM as an effective treatment for neurological conditions [17, 22, 28,29,30].

This review aims to draw conclusions from the devices and parameters used for PBM, to determine, if possible, optimal procedures for different pathologies, to promote and accelerate scientific research in this area. Furthermore, since there is some inconsistency in the reporting of these studies, it is also intended to provide further insights into which parameters are more relevant for a full characterisation of the brain PBM.

More at link.