ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2022
Transcranial Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Retrospective Study.
Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effects of transcranial photobiomodulation in cerebral circulation and brain neural oscillations: a systematic review.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- Devices used for photobiomodulation of the brain-a comprehensive and systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2024Pooled it
- Safety of 810 nm photobiomodulation in the developing brain: no evidence of glial reactivity or pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in rats.Lasers in medical science · 2025Article
- How to Improve Cognitive Flexibility: Evidence From Noninvasive Neuromodulation Techniques.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2025Review
- Enhancing sleep, wakefulness, and cognition with transcranial photobiomodulation: a systematic review.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2025Review
- Transcranial photobiomodulation for neurodevelopmental disorders: a narrative review.Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology · 2024Review
- Transcranial photobiomodulation for neurodevelopmental disorders: a narrative review.Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology · 2024Review
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Role of Non-invasive Neuromodulation Therapies.Annals of neurosciences · 2024Article
- Transcranial photobiomodulation in children aged 2-6 years: a randomized sham-controlled clinical trial assessing safety, efficacy, and impact on autism spectrum disorder symptoms and brain electrophysiology.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Can infrared light really be doing what we claim it is doing? Infrared light penetration principles, practices, and limitations.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs): Beyond the Clinical Definition and Translational Approach.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Photobiomodulation Attenuated Cognitive Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation in a Prenatal Valproic Acid-Induced Autism Spectrum Disorder Mouse Model.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face several challenges due to deficits in social function and communication along with restricted patterns of behaviors. Often, they also have difficult-to-manage and disruptive behaviors. At the moment, there are no pharmacological treatments for ASD core features. Recently, there has been a growing interest in non-pharmacological interventions for ASD, such as neuromodulation. In this retrospective study, data are reported and analyzed from 21 patients (13 males, 8 females) with ASD, with an average age of 9.1 (range 5−15), who received six months of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) at home using two protocols (alpha and gamma), which, respectively, modulates the alpha and gamma bands. They were evaluated at baseline, after three and six months of treatment using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Home Situation Questionnaire-ASD (HSQ-ASD), the Autism Parenting Stress Index (APSI), the Montefiore Einstein Rigidity Scale−Revised (MERS−R), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the SDAG, to evaluate attention. Findings show that tPBM was associated with a reduction in ASD severity, as shown by a decrease in CARS scores during the intervention (p < 0.001). A relevant reduction in noncompliant behavior and in parental stress have been found. Moreover, a reduction in behavioral and cognitive rigidity was reported as well as an improvement in attentional functions and in sleep quality. Limitations were discussed as well as future directions for research.
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