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Photobiomodulation for Improving Brain Function in Dementia (PBM Dementia)

NCT03160027 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2020-10-06

Study results available
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Summary

A recent study (Saltmarche et al., 21017) examined the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM), a kind of light therapy that uses red or near-infrared light to heal and protect tissue that has either been injured, is degenerating, or else is at risk of dying, in 5 older adults with dementia. After 12 weeks of PBM treatments, delivered with a commercially available, wearable device, the patients with mild to moderately severe dementia showed improvements on the Mini-mental State Exam (MMSE, p\<0.003) and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive, ADAS-cog, p\<0.03). The caregivers, who kept daily journals of their experiences during the 12 weeks of PBM treatment, reported better sleep, fewer angry outbursts, decreased anxiety and wandering in their loved-ones with dementia. The goals of this trial are to: (1) replicate this finding in a larger group of individuals with dementia and (2) to examine the underling brain mechanisms behind the changes in cognitive function.

Conditions

  • Dementia, Alzheimer Type

Interventions

DEVICE

Vielight Neuro Gamma

The Vielight Neuro Gamma is headset that delivers transcranial (through the scalp and skull) and intranasal (through the nose) near infrared (NIR) light. The device is engineered for increased efficacy and easy domestic use for comprehensive brain photobiomodulation (PBM). The NIR lights are pulsed at a 40 Hz rate, which correlates with electroencephalogram (EEG) gamma brain wave entrainment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Linda L Chao, PhD · University of California, San Francisco

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
50 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2017-05-15
Primary Completion
2020-09-15
Completion
2020-09-15
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03160027 on ClinicalTrials.gov