Protocol Report on the Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Alzheimer's Disease (TRAP-AD) Study

• Published in: Healthcare (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 14; p. 2017
• Main Authors: Iosifescu, Dan V, Song, Xiaotong, Gersten, Maia B, Adib, Arwa, Cho, Yoonju, Collins, Katherine M, Yates, Kathy F, Hurtado-Puerto, Aura M, McEachern, Kayla M, Osorio, Ricardo S, Cassano, Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-07-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Adenosine triphosphate; Advertising executives; Alzheimer's disease; Alzheimer’s disease (AD); Analysis; Animal cognition; Antioxidants; Brain research; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Care and treatment; cognition; Cognitive ability; Dementia; functional MRI (fMRI); Glucose; Hypotheses; Laser therapy; Light therapy; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Methods; Mitochondria; neuromodulation; Nitric oxide; Oxidative stress; Pathogenesis; Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (31P-MRSI); Phosphorylation; Proteins; Protocol; Resveratrol; transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM); United States; neuromodulation; Positron emission tomography (PET); Alzheimer’s disease (AD); cognition; laser; functional MRI (fMRI); transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM); Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (31P-MRSI)
• ISSN: 2227-9032; 2227-9032
• DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11142017

Alzheimer's disease's (AD) prevalence is projected to increase as the population ages and current treatments are minimally effective. Transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) with near-infrared (NIR) light penetrates into the cerebral cortex, stimulates the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and increases cerebral blood flow. Preliminary data suggests t-PBM may be efficacious in improving cognition in people with early AD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).
In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with aMCI and early AD participants, we will test the efficacy, safety, and impact on cognition of 24 sessions of t-PBM delivered over 8 weeks. Brain mechanisms of t-PBM in this population will be explored by testing whether the baseline tau burden (measured with
F-MK6240), or changes in mitochondrial function over 8 weeks (assessed with
P-MRSI), moderates the changes observed in cognitive functions after t-PBM therapy. We will also use changes in the fMRI Blood-Oxygenation-Level-Dependent (BOLD) signal after a single treatment to demonstrate t-PBM-dependent increases in prefrontal cortex blood flow.
This study will test whether t-PBM, a low-cost, accessible, and user-friendly intervention, has the potential to improve cognition and function in an aMCI and early AD population.