Photobiomodulation for

Parkinson's Disease

According to the NHS, more than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and the incidence of the disease increases with age.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system and body movements. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBM) has shown promising results as a treatment option for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Photobiomodulation (PBM) can protect dopaminergic neurons and improve measures of mobility, cognition, dynamic balance, and fine motor skills in Parkinson’s disease patients (PD).

In recent clinical trials, photobiomodulation therapy (PBM) has shown to be an effective treatment method for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), improving gait speed, stride length, and balance in Parkinson’s patients (Johnstone et al, 2017; Peña et al, 2020) and motor function (Moro et al, 2018).

PBM may be a promising therapy for Parkinson’s disease patients, offering a non-invasive and potentially effective alternative or adjunct therapy. Check out the studies below:

References:
1. Johnstone, D. M., Moro, C., Stone, J., Benabid, A. L., & Mitrofanis, J. (2015). Turning on lights to stop neurodegeneration: The potential of near infrared light therapy in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Frontiers in neuroscience, 11, 720. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2015.00500/full

2. Santos L, Olmo-Aguado SD, Valenzuela PL, Winge K, Iglesias-Soler E, Argüelles-Luis J, Álvarez-Valle S, Parcero-Iglesias GJ, Fernández-Martínez A, Lucia A. Photobiomodulation in Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial. Brain Stimul. 2019 May-Jun;12(3):810-812. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.02.009. Epub 2019 Feb 20. PMID: 30824206. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30824206/

3. Peoples C, Spana S, Ashkan K, Benabid AL, Stone J, Baker GE, Mitrofanis J. Photobiomodulation enhances nigral dopaminergic cell survival in a chronic MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2012 Jun;18(5):469-76. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2012.01.005. Epub 2012 Jan 28. PMID: 22285756. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22285756/

Near-infrared light has the potential to slow or even stop disease pathology for people with Parkinson’s Disease

Johnstone, D. M. et al. (2015) conducted a review article that discusses the potential of near-infrared light therapy in halting neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. They suggest that near-infrared light has the potential to be neuroprotective, slowing or even completely stopping disease pathology, with no side effects.

Transcranial brain stimulation can alter the progression and improvement of neurodegenerative processes

A scientific overview by Nizamutdinov et. al (2022) states that transcranial brain stimulation with near-infrared light in recent animal and human studies revealed a positive impact of treatment on the progression and improvement of neurodegenerative processes, management of brain energy metabolism, and regulation of chronic brain inflammation associated with various conditions, including Parkinson's Disease.

Improved mobility, cognition, balance, and fine motor skills in people with Parkinson’s Disease

Liebert, A. et al. (2021) study with 12 participants with Parkinson's disease found that 12 weeks of photobiomodulation treatment improved mobility, cognition, balance, and fine motor skills, with many individual improvements lasting for up to one year with sustained home treatment.

Further Research

Clinical research is ongoing and several studies have been published on light therapy for various conditions.

Take a look below to explore each research page.

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