ArticleFrontiers in psychology2022
Photobiomodulation improves frontal lobe cognitive functions and mental health of older adults with non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment: Case studies.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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.
A Pilot Study Evaluating the Feasibility, Safety, and Efficacy of the Neuro RX Gamma (Version 2) for the Treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Transcranial Photobiomodulation in Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Can transcranial photobiomodulation improve cognitive function in TBI patients? A systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Pooled it
- Effectiveness of photobiomodulation for people with age-related cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2023Pooled it
- Effects ofFrontiers in nutrition · 2026Trial
- Prediction of treatment responsiveness to home-based transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) intervention for cognitive decline using fNIRS concurrently recorded during tPBM.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Article
- Bilateral Angular Gyrus 810-nm Transcranial Near-Infrared Stimulation Reshapes Brain Network: Ameliorate Alzheimer's Disease Cognitive Deficits.BME frontiers · 2026Article
- How to Improve Cognitive Flexibility: Evidence From Noninvasive Neuromodulation Techniques.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2025Review
- Exploring Non-Pharmacologic Adjunctive Therapies for Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Review
- Photobiomodulation: shining a light on depression.Theranostics · 2025Review
- Whole-Body Photobiomodulation Therapy Propels the Fibromyalgia Patient into the Recomposition Phase: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis.Biomedicines · 2024Article
- Photobiomodulation in Alzheimer's Disease-A Complementary Method to State-of-the-Art Pharmaceutical Formulations and Nanomedicine?Pharmaceutics · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: This study investigated the effects of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) on improving the frontal lobe cognitive functions and mental health of older adults. Methods: Three older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) of the non-amnestic type received 18-session tPBM stimulation for 9 weeks and were assessed with neuropsychological tests of memory and executive functions and standardized questionnaires on depressive and anxiety symptoms, global cognitive functions, and daily functioning abilities before and after tPBM stimulation. Results: At baseline, their intrusion and/or perseveration errors in a verbal memory test and a fluency test, as measures of the frontal lobe cognitive functions, were in the borderline to severely impaired range at baseline. After tPBM stimulation, the three older adults showed various levels of improvement in their frontal lobe cognitive functions. One older adult's intrusion and perseveration errors improved from the <1st-2nd percentile (moderately to severely impaired range) to the 41st-69th percentile (average range), another older adult's intrusion errors improved from the 11th percentile to the 83rd percentile, and the third older adult's intrusion errors improved from the 5th percentile to the 56th percentile. Moreover, improvements in their anxiety and/or depressive symptoms were also observed. One older adult's depressive and anxiety symptoms improved from the severe range at baseline to the mild range after the intervention. The other two older adults' depressive symptoms improved from the mild range at baseline to the normal range after the intervention. Discussion: These findings provide preliminary support for the potential of tPBM to improve the frontal lobe cognitive functions and mental health of older adults with MCI. Given the small sample size of only three older adults and the absence of a placebo control group, larger randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm its potential.
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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.