Chronic Effects of Photobiomodulation With an LED Vest on Functional Capacity, Inflammatory Markers, and Muscle Perfusion in Children With Asthma (Asthma PBM)

May 28, 2026 updated by: LUCIANA MARIA MALOSA SAMPAIO, University of Nove de Julho
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that results in tissue remodeling, airflow limitation, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effects of photobiomodulation using an LED vest in the management of pediatric asthma. It is a randomized clinical trial involving children aged 6 to 17 years diagnosed with mild to moderate asthma, divided into two groups: an intervention group (using a vest with active LEDs) and a control group (using the vest turned off, simulating the intervention without light emission). The methodology includes clinical and functional assessments such as spirometry, the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the GINA questionnaire, and the Incremental Step Test (IST), which measures exercise tolerance. Photobiomodulation through LEDs promotes cellular biostimulation without thermal effects, modulating inflammatory processes and optimizing tissue regeneration. It is expected that the LED vest will contribute to improving pulmonary function, enhancing quality of life, and complementing conventional treatments. This project aims to advance the clinical application of photobiomodulation as an accessible and effective therapeutic alternative for pediatric asthma.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, persistent inflammation, airflow limitation, and structural airway remodeling. Pediatric asthma remains a major public health concern due to its impact on lung development, exercise tolerance, quality of life, and healthcare utilization. Despite advances in pharmacological therapies, many children continue to experience symptoms, exacerbations, and functional limitations, highlighting the need for complementary therapeutic strategies.

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has emerged as a promising non-invasive intervention capable of modulating biological processes through light energy absorption by cellular photoreceptors. By stimulating mitochondrial activity and enhancing ATP production, PBMT may reduce inflammatory responses, improve tissue repair, and optimize microcirculatory function without inducing thermal damage. Experimental studies have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects associated with reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers.

This randomized clinical trial aims to investigate the chronic effects of an LED vest-based photobiomodulation intervention on functional capacity, inflammatory markers, and pulmonary outcomes in children aged 6-17 years diagnosed with mild to moderate asthma. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving active LED treatment or a control group receiving sham treatment through an inactive vest. Clinical and functional assessments will include spirometry, Asthma Control Test (ACT), GINA assessment, and the Incremental Step Test (IST) to evaluate exercise tolerance. Additional physiological parameters may be analyzed to investigate underlying mechanisms associated with treatment response.

The findings of this study may contribute to the development of innovative, accessible, and clinically applicable therapeutic strategies for pediatric asthma management.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • São Paulo
      • São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 01525000

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Critérios de Inclusão: Crianças em idade escolar de 6 a 17 anos Diagnosticado com asma leve a moderada (tratamento farmacológico regular) clinicamente estável Critérios de exclusão:Histórico de exacerbação da asma dentro de 30 dias antes do início do estudo, FAlha no preenchimento dos questionários

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Photobiomodulation and exercise
20 minutes using PTBM after 30 minutes making aerobic exercise
Other: Photobiomodulation

1. Duration: 20 minutes per session. Intervention group: vest with active LEDs (according to the table below). Control group (placebo): identical vest without light emission. Application site: anterior and posterior thoracic regions, covering the pulmonary fields and dorsal musculature.

Frequency: twice weekly, with a minimum interval of 48 hours between sessions. Conditions:*application performed at rest, with the child comfortably seated or lying down, under the supervision of the principal investigator.
Sham Comparator: Exercise
30 minutes making aerobic exercise
Other: Exercise

Supervised Physical Training:

The physical exercise protocol will be initiated immediately after vest application, aiming to improve functional capacity and respiratory symptom control, with safety and continuous monitoring.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional exercise capacity
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week
Oxugen consumption measured during cardiopulmonary testing
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
FVC
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week
lung function- forced vital capacity
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week
FEV1
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week
lung function- expiratory volume in 1 second
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week
Global Initiative for Asthma
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week
score
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Nove de Julho

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Luciana M Sampaio, Dra, University of Nove de Julho

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 30, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 30, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 28, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Asthma and photobiomodulation

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Confidentiality

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Asthma (Diagnosis)

Clinical Trials on Photobiomodulation

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings