Transcranial Low-Level Laser Therapy for Depression and Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

There is no effective therapy in patients with depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The need for novel treatments offers researchers the opportunity to explore new technology for these disorders. Transcranial low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a novel therapeutic approach based on laser irradiation to biological tissue, and it has been used to treat brain disorders. Although there are certain therapeutic options for depression and AD, there is little treatment available as non-invasive physical therapy. In this mini-review, we focus on a growing body of evidence surrounding the therapeutic effects of LLLT for depression and AD. Transcranial LLLT can enhance ATP biosynthesis, regulate mitochondrial homeostasis, and facilitate neurogenesis and/or neuroplasticity. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the treatment of LLLT on these disorders are still at early stages. Clinical trials on depression and AD by transcranial LLLT are critical for future studies.

Sleep as a Novel Biomarker and a Promising Therapeutic Target for Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Review Focusing on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Blood-Brain Barrier

“…We consider that the clearance of different compounds from the brain can be possible bridge between the similar changes in EEG dynamics co-occur during sleep and the BBB opening ( Figure 2 ). It is believed that an increase in the volume of the interstitial fluid (ISF) contributes by drainage of water-soluble metabolites from ISF to CSF compartments [ 90 ].The sleep is associated with an increase in the ISF volume that is accompanied activation of macromolecular diffusion in the brain tissues [ 9 , 91 ]. The astrocytes rapidly and significantly change their volume, making a decisive contribution to the change in the total proportion of volume of ISF [ 92 , 93 , 94 ].…”

Therapeutic potential of intranasal photobiomodulation therapy for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: a narrative review

“…To date, no serious adverse effects were reported for this modality in literature; however, caution should be used with laser devices due to the risk for macular lesions. Transcranial (Michalikova et al, 2008;Naeser et al, 2014;Thunshelle and Hamblin, 2016;Chang et al, 2018;Salehpour et al, 2018b), intranasal (Pitzschke et al, 2015;Saltmarche et al, 2017), intra-aural (Sun et al, 2016), intraoral (Burchman, 2011;Pitzschke et al, 2015), and intravascular approaches (Maksimovich, 2004) were proposed in literature as potential noninvasive routes to deliver the light in brain PBMT. In addition, recently, the feasibility and safety of more invasive methods for intracranial brain PBMT were demonstrated in rodent and primate models of Parkinson's disease (PD) (El Massri et al, 2017).…”

Biophotonic Strategies of Measurement and Stimulation of the Cranial and the Extracranial Lymphatic Drainage Function

“…The transcranial photostimulation (tPS) is considered as a possible novel nonpharmacological and non-invasive promising strategy for prevention or delay of AD [63]- [69], depression [70]- [75], Parkinson's disease [76], stroke [77], [78], traumatic brain injuries [79], [80], post-mastectomy lymphedema [81], [82], and post-surgical swelling [82]- [84]. The PS, known as low-level laser therapy, was first proposed by Endre Mester in 1967 for stimulation of hair growth [85] and in 1971 for wound healing [86].…”