Abstract
Background: Transcranial photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has emerged as a
promising alternative therapeutic option for the management of neurological and psychiatric
disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms of PBM therapy and its effects on motor performance
in brain disorders are not yet fully understood. The aim of this literature review is to
provide a more detailed and evidence-based explanation of the rationale and intent behind the
correlation between PBM therapy and its effects on motor performance in brain disorders.
Methods: A literature search was performed in the databases "PubMed/Medline", "Scopus," and
"Google Scholar" for all relevant English language papers. A combination of different keywords
was used for the database search. Video articles, patents, review articles, book chapters, articles
using other transcranial methods, non-transcranial PBM, and case reports were excluded.
Results: Out of the 2174 papers, 18 addressed the effect of PBM on motor performance. Among
these, four studies were on ischemic stroke models and individuals with stroke, six studies on
models associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), five studies on models associated with neurodegenerative
diseases and Parkinson's disease, and four studies related to models and patients
with central nervous system inflammation. All studies have shown that motor parameters improve
with PBM. In two studies on healthy individuals, 65 showed improvement in motor function
and 16 showed improvement in motor evoked potential. In most studies (n=10), the wavelength
used was between 800 and 900 nm. Near-infrared or LED continuous light was used in
most studies. However, two studies compared the effects of pulsed and continuous waves and
found the superiority of pulsed over continuous waves.
Conclusions: PBM therapy appears to be useful in brain injury, inducing changes at the behavioral,
motor, cellular, and chemical levels. Recent studies suggest that PBM therapy may have
potential benefits in improving motor performance in brain disorders, including stroke, traumatic
brain injury, Parkinson's disease, and demyelination. However, further research is needed to
determine the optimal parameters for PBM therapy and to investigate its effects on motor function
in different brain disorders. Overall, PBM therapy appears to be a promising therapeutic
option for brain injury and warrants further investigation.
Graphical Abstract
[1]
Feigin VL, Vos T, Nichols E, et al. Global burden of neurological disorders: Estimates and projections. Neurol Res 2021; 43(4): 266-71.
[9]
Salehpour F. Near-infrared photobiomodulation in healthy volunteers: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. Brain Stimul 2018; 11(6): 1290-9.
[12]
Quirk BJ. Review of transcranial photobiomodulation for major depressive disorder: Targeting brain metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurogenesis. Neurophotonics 2019; 6(4): 041408.
[15]
Mokhtarzadeh A. Photobiomodulation therapy improves neurological function and decreases oxidative stress markers in a rat model of traumatic brain injury. Lasers Med Sci 2022; 37(5): 1359-66.
[16]
Moriyama Y, Aizawa K, Izu Y, Takemura M, Tanaka Y, Toda T. Transcranial low-level laser therapy improves neurological performance in mice with induced multiple sclerosis. Lasers Med Sci 2020; 35(4): 941-8.
[24]
Salehpour F. Photobiomodulation therapy and its effects on motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lasers Med Sci 2021; 36(8): 1431-43.
[26]
Salehpour F, Mahmoudi J, Kamari F, Sadigh-Eteghad S, Rasta SH. Transcranial photobiomodulation prevents anxiety and depression via changing serotonin and nitric oxide levels in brain of depression model mice: A study of three different doses of 810 nm laser. Lasers Med Sci 2018; 33(6): 1395-403.
[27]
Salehpour F, Farhoudi M, Mahmoudi J. Therapeutic effects of transcranial photobiomodulation on cognitive impairment in neurodegenerative diseases. J Lasers Med Sci 2019; 10(2): 158-64.
[29]
Salehpour F, Mahmoudi J, Kamari F, Sadigh-Eteghad S, Rasta SH. Transcranial photobiomodulation improves cognitive function in healthy individuals: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg 2021; 39(3): 189-96.
[43]
Ferraresi C, Huang YY, Hamblin MR. Photobiomodulation as a potential adjuvant therapy for periodontal disease. Front Oral Health 2021; 2: 604948.
[45]
Xu X, Liu H, Wang Y, et al. Transcranial photobiomodulation for motor function recovery after stroke: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery 2021; 39(5): 288-95.
[46]
Ferraresi C, Huang YY, Hamblin MR. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels mediate the effects of 670 nm light emitting diode (LED) irradiation on thermal pain threshold and cerebral inflammation. BMC Neurosci 2021; 22(1): 27.
[51]
Hesse S, Werner C, Byhahn M. Transcranial low-level laser therapy may improve alertness and awareness in traumatic brain injured subjects with severe disorders of consciousness: A case series. Int Arch Med 2015; 8.
[59]
Huang YY, Gupta A, Vecchio D, de Arce VJB, Hamblin MR. Transcranial low-level laser therapy: A review of cognitive improvement and neuroprotection in animal models. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg 2020; 38(10): 571-83.
[60]
Keshri GK, Gupta A, Yadav A, Hamblin MR. Photobiomodulation for traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury: Mechanisms, applications, and future prospects. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 112: 65-75.
[66]
Lei T, Lin J, Cheng B, Wang Z, He C, Li G. Photobiomodulation therapy attenuates neuroinflammation via modulating microglia polarization and inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway in traumatic brain injury. J Neuroinflamm 2020; 18(1): 1-16.
[68]
Lei H. Investigated the effects of photobiomodulation therapy on neuroinflammation and microglia polarization in traumatic brain injury. They found that PBM therapy reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, inhibited NF-κB signaling, and promoted the polarization of microglia towards an antiinflammatory phenotype. 2021; 25(12): 12-3.
[69]
Lanzafame. Conducted a pilot, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation therapy on dementia patients with and without stroke. They found that PBM therapy using a near-infrared light helmet improved cognitive function and reduced symptoms of depression in the patients. 2020; 32(12): 24-46.
[76]
Kim JY, Kim YH, Lee YJ, et al. Transcranial magnetic stimulation with robotic hand rehabilitation in stroke patients: A randomized controlled trial. Int J Neurosci 2018; 128(1): 28-36.
Download PDF Flyer