ArticleLaser therapy2018
A case control series for the effect of photobiomodulation in patients with low back pain and concurrent depression.
Article in Laser therapy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Devices used for photobiomodulation of the brain-a comprehensive and systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of low-level laser therapy on burning pain and quality of life in patients with burning mouth syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC oral health · 2023Pooled it
- Efficacy of Transcranial Photobiomodulation on Depressive Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis.Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery · 2023Pooled it
- Photobiomodulation improves depression symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Low-Level LED Light Therapy for Sleep Problems, Psychological Symptoms, and Heart Rate Variability in Shift-Work Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of nursing management · 2025Trial
- Photobiomodulation: shining a light on depression.Theranostics · 2025Review
- Review
- Transcranial Photobiomodulation For The Management Of Depression: Current Perspectives.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsTo present incidental findings in patients with low back pain (LBP) who received photobiomodulation (PBM) administered to the back and thighs as an adjunct to physical therapy (PT) and then experienced improvement in concurrent depression. MATERIALS AND
methodsFive outpatients with LBP and concurrent self-reported depression were treated for LBP over five weeks with PT (5-sessions) and concurrent PBM (final 3-sessions), and retrospectively matched to five control patients treated with PT alone (5-sessions). The PBM device emitted light at 850nm and 660 nm with an irradiance of 100 mW/cm
resultsBoth groups had non-significant differences in all baseline scores, except for higher functional status (ARGS) in the PBM-group (33.6 ± 12.2 vs.18.6 ± 3.6,
conclusionsThis preliminary investigation suggests that an antidepressant effect may result from PBM to the back and thighs in patients with LBP and concurrent depression.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.