SynthesisLasers in medical science2023
Effectiveness of photobiomodulation for people with age-related cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Lasers in medical science, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Transcranial photobiomodulation therapy in older women regarding cognitive functions: a systematic review.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of photobiomodulation on multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of randomized clinical trials.Systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- The effects of intravenous laser irradiation of blood with red and blue light on stroke risk biomarkers and neurological function: a double blind randomized controlled trial.Lasers in medical science · 2025Trial
- Lights for aging: Can photobiomodulation restore functionality in the cerebral networks of aged individuals?Neural regeneration research · 2026Article
- Comparative effects of some pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions on cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease: A Bayesian network meta-analysis.The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · 2026Article
- Neuromodulation and rehabilitation of post-stroke cognitive impairment: challenges and prospects.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
- Sleep is a therapeutic window for photostimulation of drainage of aging brain.Frontiers of optoelectronics · 2025Article
- Age as a limiting factor for effectiveness of photostimulation of brain drainage and cognitive functions.Frontiers of optoelectronics · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The increasing incident of age-related cognitive impairment worldwide and the lack of pharmaceutical treatments emphasizes the value of non-pharmaceutical therapy. Emerging evidence suggested photobiomodulation (PBM) is a popular intervention to brain disorder; however, it remains unclear the efficacy of PBM for patients with age-related cognitive impairment. The purpose of this systematic review is to compare the different parameters used in PBM, analyze the beneficial effects of PBM as a potential therapy for age-related cognitive impairment. Five electronic database, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, were systematically searched from inception to November 2021. Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were screened and assessed for risk of bias. Eleven RCTs evaluating PBM interventions were included. The systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered in PROSPERO(CRD42022374562). Results showed that PBM had a significant moderated effect on global cognition function (SMD=0.51, 95% CI [0.162, 0.864], p=0.004). We found that multiple wavelength PBM (SMD=0.648, 95% CI [0.220, 1.075], p=0.003) had significant effects while single wavelength PBM was non-significant (SMD=0.385, 95% CI [-0.168, 0.987], p=0.172). Laser effect (SMD=0.682, 95% CI [0.37, 0,994], p<0.001) was larger than LED effect (SMD=0.582, 95% CI [0.269, 0.895], p<0.001). PBM in clinical setting (SMD=0.468, 95% CI [0.050, 0.887], p=0.028) had significant effect, but there was no significant effect of home-used PBM (SMD=0.616, 95% CI [-0.121, 1.354], p=0.101). The pool effect of multi-modality PBM (SMD=0.720, 95% CI [0.027, 1.414], p=0.040) was significantly higher in the studies of transcranial irradiation (SMD=0.616, 95% CI [-0.121, 1.354], p=0.010). Cumulative irradiation time was a moderator between the PBM and cognitive function improvement. Photobiomodulation have the potential to improve cognitive function in aging adults. Cumulative irradiation duration, light source, device type, penetration modality, and intervention site can affect the effectiveness of PBM intervention.
Indexed as
Identifiers
37843594What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.