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Transcranial Photobiomodulation Intervention for Healthy Older Adults

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy
Intervention
Healthy Older Adults
Transcranial Photobiomodulation
Working Memory
Interventions
Behavioral: Active tPBM session
Behavioral: Sham tPBM session
Registration Number
NCT04608370
Lead Sponsor
XuanwuH 2
Brief Summary

Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) is a novel, non-invasive neurostimulation technique, which has shown compelling potential for cognitive improvement. Increasing neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that functional brain network models would sensitively and comprehensively delineate action mechanisms of multiple neurostimulation techniques. However, the action mechanism of tPBM based on functional brain network remain largely unknown. In this project, the investigators aim to investigate the effectiveness of tPBM on working memory for healthy older adults. Taking the randomized, single-blind controlled method, participants in the active tPBM group will take active tPBM, and those in the sham tPBM group will take sham tPBM. After that, the investigators will investigate the changes of working. Furthermore, based on the neuroimaging technique, the regulatory mechanism of tPBM in intervening older adults will be revealed from the perspective of altered brain functional networks. This study will provide evidence for understanding whether the tPBM has the potentially therapeutic effect on cognitive function for healthy older adults as a non-drug treatment, and further elucidating the potential brain mechanism, which are of great values in solving scientific and clinical practice issues.

Detailed Description

An astonishing rise in the prevalence of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults was witnessed in recent years, which renders investigations of cognitive intervention especially urgent and vital. Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) is now considered as a potentially non-pharmacologic intervention for cognitive decline and has attracted the interest of researchers. However, there are few existing studies involving the mechanism of tPBM on brain functional networks.

Sixty healthy older participants will be recruited in this randomized, single-blind controlled trial. Each group had thirty participants.Participants in the active tPBM group will take active tPBM and those in the sham tPBM group will take sham tPBM. After that, the investigators will investigate the changes of working memory, which is the primary outcome. Furthermore, based on the neuroimaging technique of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the regulatory mechanism of tPBM in intervening older adults will be revealed from the perspective of altered brain functional networks.

This study will provide evidence for understanding whether the tPBM has the potentially therapeutic effect on cognitive function for healthy older adults as a non-drug treatment, and further elucidating the potential brain mechanism, which are of great values in solving scientific and clinical practice issues.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
60
Inclusion Criteria
  • 50-79 years old, right-handed and Mandarin-speaking subjects;
  • Normal age-adjusted, gender-adjusted and education-adjusted performance on standardised cognitive tests
Exclusion Criteria
  • Current diagnosis with mild cognitive decline or dementia;
  • Current major psychiatric diagnoses such as severe depression and anxiety;
  • Other neurological conditions (e.g., cerebrovascular disease, brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, encephalitis, or epilepsy)
  • Other diseases which could cause cognitive decline (e.g., thyroid dysfunction, severe anemia, syphilis, or HIV)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Active tPBM session groupActive tPBM sessionParticipants in the active tPBM group will take active tPBM session, which include 12 minutes active tPBM by a 1064nm laser to the left forehead , 6 minutes resting-state fNIRS measurement, and 8 minutes digital n-back task-an ubiquitous cognitive task for working memory.
Sham tPBM session groupSham tPBM sessionParticipants in the sham tPBM group will take sham tPBM session, which include 12 minutes sham tPBM by a 1064nm laser to the left forehead , 6 minutes resting-state fNIRS measurement, and 8 minutes digital n-back task-an ubiquitous cognitive task for working memory.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Working memory24 hours

N-back task is one of the most classic cognitive to study working memory (Bopp and Verhaeghen, 2020). During this task, participants are asked to decide if a digit appearing on a screen is the same as the digit that appeared n stimuli earlier (n-back). Working memory load varies with n between blocks. In our study, the digit (0 to 9) was randomly presented on a screen for 1 seconds every 2 seconds and a total of 20 digit formed one trial. The whole task consists of three blocks, and each of block includes 3 trials -sequentially 1-back, 2-back, 3-back. The presentation of n-back were generated by E-Prime 3. Mean accuracy and reaction time for correct trials are used as n-back performance indicators.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
FNIRS-based brain functional networks changes24 hours

The brain functional activity data will be collected using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technique. The investigators will compare the changes of brain functional networks based on the measure of oxyhemoglobin concentration signal with relatively high signal to noise ratio (SNR) in two groups, in order to reveal the regulatory mechanism of the tPBM in intervening older persons.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Neurolgy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University

🇨🇳

Beijing, Beijing, China

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