Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27752476›Full record

ReviewBBA clinical2016

Shining light on the head: Photobiomodulation for brain disorders.

Michael R Hamblin

6 registry-linked trialsAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in BBA clinical, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 6 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 259 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
259citing papers in PubMed, 14 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04489082 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Use of Near Infrared Laser Stimulation for Treatment of Depression, Anxiety, Neurodegenerative Conditions, and Traumatic Brain Injury/Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

TypeinterventionalSponsorNeurological Associates of West Los AngelesRan2021 to 2024Enrolled400ConditionsRefractory Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Traumatic Brain InjuryArmsNear Infrared Laser Stimulation
NCT04660552 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Reducing Autism Symptoms in Children

TypeinterventionalSponsorJelikaLite LLCRan2020 to 2023Enrolled34ConditionsAutism Spectrum DisorderArmsCognilum TM: Light Treatment Condition
NCT05845216 naactive not recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Transcranial Near InfraRed Light on Cerebral Function in Young and Healthy Older Subjects: a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study (TIROC)

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity Hospital, GrenobleRan2023 to 2026Enrolled64ConditionsHealthy VolunteersArmsACTIVE Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), SHAM Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM)
NCT06359080 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Reducing Autism Symptoms in Children.

TypeinterventionalSponsorJelikaLite LLCRan2022 to 2022Enrolled25ConditionsAutism Spectrum DisorderArmsCognilum TM: Light Treatment Condition
NCT06380179 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Assessing the Impact of Post-Exercise Photobiomodulation Application on Performance, Recovery, and Behavioral State in Trained Special Operator Population

TypeinterventionalSponsorMusculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational ReadinessRan2025 to 2026Enrolled29ConditionsPhotobiomodulation Therapy, Photomedicine, Low-Level Laser Therapy, Performance EnhancementArmsTHOR3 training + Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT), THOR3 training + sham PBMT
NCT07651787 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Transcranial Photobiomodulation in Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of OklahomaRan2025 to 2026Enrolled40ConditionsMild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Amyloid PathologyArmsActive Vielight Neuro RX-Duo device -Active transcranial photobiomodulation, Sham Vielight Neuro RX-Duo device -Sham transcranial photobiomodulation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

259 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. Transabdominal photobiomodulation applications: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025
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199 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Michael R HamblinWellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.

Funding

Photodynamic Therapy of Localized InfectionsR01AI050875 · NIAID · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI HAMBLIN, MICHAEL R · 2003 to 2017
$4.8M
Synergistic Photodynamic Therapy for Catherer-Associated Urinary Tract InfectionsR21AI121700 · NIAID · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI HAMBLIN, MICHAEL R · 2016 to 2017
$462k
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI050875NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI121700
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Photobiomodulation (PBM) describes the use of red or near-infrared light to stimulate, heal, regenerate, and protect tissue that has either been injured, is degenerating, or else is at risk of dying. One of the organ systems of the human body that is most necessary to life, and whose optimum functioning is most worried about by humankind in general, is the brain. The brain suffers from many different disorders that can be classified into three broad groupings: traumatic events (stroke, traumatic brain injury, and global ischemia), degenerative diseases (dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's), and psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder). There is some evidence that all these seemingly diverse conditions can be beneficially affected by applying light to the head. There is even the possibility that PBM could be used for cognitive enhancement in normal healthy people. In this transcranial PBM (tPBM) application, near-infrared (NIR) light is often applied to the forehead because of the better penetration (no hair, longer wavelength). Some workers have used lasers, but recently the introduction of inexpensive light emitting diode (LED) arrays has allowed the development of light emitting helmets or "brain caps". This review will cover the mechanisms of action of photobiomodulation to the brain, and summarize some of the key pre-clinical studies and clinical trials that have been undertaken for diverse brain disorders.

Indexed as

Alzheimer's diseaseCognitive enhancementIschemic strokeLow level laser (light) therapyMajor depressionParkinson's diseasePhotobiomodulationTraumatic brain injury

Identifiers

PMID27752476
PMCPMC5066074

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.