Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34221541›Full record

ArticleAging and disease2021

Transcranial Near Infrared Light Stimulations Improve Cognition in Patients with Dementia.

Damir Nizamutdinov, Xiaoming Qi, Marvin H Berman, Gordon Dougal, Samantha Dayawansa, Erxi Wu, S Stephen Yi, Alan B Stevens, Jason H Huang

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Aging and disease, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05845216 (Effect of Transcranial Near InfraRed Light on Cerebral Function in Young and Healthy Older Subjects), which is not on this map. Cited by 64 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
64citing papers in PubMed, 9 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.

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)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

64 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  13. [A simulation study of photothermal effects in transcranial photobiomodulation].Sheng wu yi xue gong cheng xue za zhi = Journal of biomedical engineering = Shengwu yixue gongchengxue zazhi · 2026
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  18. Reconstructing cerebral lymphatic clearance: an emerging target in the Alzheimer's disease therapeutic pipeline.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
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4 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

9 authors.

Damir Nizamutdinov1Baylor Scott and White Health, Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery, Temple, TX, USA.
Xiaoming Qi1Baylor Scott and White Health, Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery, Temple, TX, USA.
Marvin H Berman3Quietmind Foundation, Elkins Park, PA, USA.
Gordon Dougal4Maculume Limited, Spennymoor, UK.
Samantha Dayawansa1Baylor Scott and White Health, Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery, Temple, TX, USA.
Erxi Wu1Baylor Scott and White Health, Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery, Temple, TX, USA.
S Stephen Yi6Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA.
Alan B Stevens1Baylor Scott and White Health, Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery, Temple, TX, USA.
Jason H Huang1Baylor Scott and White Health, Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery, Temple, TX, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Dementia is a complex syndrome with various presentations depending on the underlying pathologies. Low emission of transcranial near-infrared (tNIR) light can reach human brain parenchyma and be beneficial to a number of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. We hereby examined the safety and potential therapeutic benefits of tNIR light stimulations in the treatment of dementia. Patients of mild to moderate dementia were randomized into active and sham treatment groups at 2:1 ratio. Active treatment consisted of low power tNIR light stimulations with an active photobiomodulation for 6 min twice daily during 8 consequent weeks. Sham treatment consisted of same treatment routine with a sham device. Neuropsychological battery was obtained before and after treatment. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze outcomes. Sixty subjects were enrolled. Fifty-seven subjects completed the study and had not reported health or adverse side effects during or after the treatment. Three subjects dropped out from trial for health issues unrelated to use of tNIR light treatment. Treatment with active device resulted in improvements of cognitive functions and changes were: an average increase of MMSE by 4.8 points; Logical Memory Tests I and II by ~3.0 points; Trail Making Tests A and B by ~24%; Boston Naming Test by ~9%; improvement of both Auditory Verbal Learning Tests in all subtest categories and overall time of performance. Many patients reported improved sleep after ~7 days of treatment. Caregivers noted that patients had less anxiety, improved mood, energy, and positive daily routine after ~14-21 days of treatment. The tNIR light treatments demonstrated safety and positive cognitive improvements in patients with dementia. Developed treatment protocol can be conveniently used at home. This study suggests that additional dementia treatment trials are warranted with a focus on mitigating caregivers' burden with tNIR light treatment of dementia patients.

Indexed as

dementiaphotobiomodulationtnir light treatmenttranscranial near infrared light

Identifiers

PMID34221541
PMCPMC8219492

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.