Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Neuromodulation of Brain Disorders: A Perspective.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Scoping review and narrative perspective summarizing mechanisms and clinical applications without systematic meta-analysis.
PubMed 41642156 · doi:10.1016/j.neurom.2025.12.006
What was done
The authors conducted a scoping review and perspective synthesizing literature on transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) in humans. The review examined delivery methods (scalp, nasal, oral cavity, external ear canal), modes (continuous versus pulsed), dosing parameters, biological mechanisms, and reported clinical applications across neurological, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders, excluding indications with only preclinical evidence.
What was found
The review reported that tPBM stimulates mitochondrial energy metabolism, improves oxygenation, reduces apoptosis and neuroinflammation, and supports neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, angiogenesis, and glymphatic clearance. The therapy displays a biphasic dose-response relationship. Clinical applications identified include stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and multiple sclerosis. The abstract provides no quantitative effect sizes, patient counts, or comparative statistical results.
Why it matters
This review maps the current mechanistic rationale and wide clinical landscape of noninvasive light therapy, highlighting that multiwavelength and pulsed delivery may help establish effective, standardized protocols.
Limits
The abstract reports no sample sizes, number of included studies, or quantitative outcome metrics. As a scoping perspective encompassing diverse clinical conditions and delivery modalities, it does not assess study quality, risk of bias, or comparative efficacy across specific clinical endpoints.
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