A number of studies have suggested that PBM can have positive effects on the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) for Parkinson’s disease symptoms, including motor symptoms, as measured by UPDRS, and sense of smell and patient reported outcomes. A 20+20 double-blind, randomised, sham controlled trial was conducted over 24 weeks, with Group 1 having sham helmet for 12 weeks and then active helmet for 12 weeks and Group 2 having active helmet for 12 weeks and then no treatment for 12 weeks. The clinical trial was conducted entirely remotely during the COVID-19 restrictions. Despite a large placebo effect, the treatment was found to be both safe and effective, with a clinically and statistically significant reduction in UPDRS scores. There were also improvements in some participants sense of smell and quality of life.
We propose that conformational changes to the cytoskeleton is a mechanism of photobiomodulation additional to its other known effects, underlying pain relief by PBM. These conformational changes may lead to secondary effects within nerve cells, such as the slowing of conduction velocity and changes in mitochondrial membrane potentials, both of which are modulated by photobiomodulation. We propose that the mechanism that links photobiomodulation to cytoskeleton changes is the action of light on photoacceptors such as ion channels, with cytoskeletal modulations affecting downstream signalling, resulting in changes to the integrity of cell membrane and overall cell configuration. This proposed mechanism has potential implications for pathologies such as chronic pain, dysregulated immune responses and neurological diseases such as traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease.
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