Photobiomodulation and Parkinson

May 16, 2025 updated by: Luis Santos, University of Oviedo

Photobiomodulation in Parkinson´s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to assess the effects of transcranial photobiomodulation in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Thirty-five patients with idiopathic PD were randomly assigned to a photobiomodulation (n=17, [mean±SD] 72±7 years) or sham group (n=18, 70±8 years) during 9 weeks (2 sessions/week). The primary endpoint was the motor portion of the Movement Disorders Society-United PD Rating Scale. Secondary endpoints were the Scales for Outcomes in PD, static posturography, walking ability (ten-meter walk test [TMWT]) and functional mobility (timed up and go [TUG] test).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

35

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • Spain
    • Asturias
      • Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, 33005
        • University School of Sports Medicine, University of Oviedo, Spain.
    • Castilla y León
      • León, Castilla y León, Spain, 24071
        • Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of León

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Having been diagnosed with idiopathic PD.
  • Stage 1-2 on the Hoehn and Yahr Scale.
  • Having no neurological condition other than PD.
  • Being able to stand for 2 minutes and walk 10 meters without assistance.
  • Having no severe dyskinesias or "ON-OFF" phases.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Do not follow inclusion criteria.

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Photobiomodulation group

17 Parkinson´s disease patients were randomly assigned to the photobiomodulation group (experimental group).

Intervention: Photobiomodulation was administered using red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a 670-nm wavelength in six 1-minute blocks alternating the LEDs between the right and left temples, with a 30-second rest between blocks.
Other: Transcranial photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation was administered using red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a 670-nm wavelength (which has proven to penetrate the skull)
Other Names:
  • LEDs
Sham Comparator: Sham group

18 Parkinson´s disease patients were randomly assigned to the sham group.

Intervention: Procedures for the sham group were identical as the photobiomodulation one, except that patients received photobiomodulation during only 5 seconds followed by 55 seconds with no treatment (equalling 1/12th of the energy used for the intervention group).
Other: Transcranial photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation was administered using red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a 670-nm wavelength (which has proven to penetrate the skull)
Other Names:
  • LEDs

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The motor portion of the MDS-UPDRS.
Time Frame: 9 weeks
The motor portion (part III) Movement Disorders Society-Unified PD Rating Scale. It assesses the motor signs of Parkinson´s disease (minimum and maximum score is 0 and 76 points respectively -the higher score, the higher movement disorder and vice versa-).
9 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Motor function
Time Frame: 9 weeks
The Spanish-validated version of the Short Parkinson's Evaluation Scale (SPES)/Scales for Outcomes in PD (SCOPA). It measures the Parkinson´s disease patients motor function (minimum and maximum score is 0 and 63 points respectively -the higher score, the worse motor function and vice versa-).
9 weeks
Static posturography
Time Frame: 9 weeks
The centre of pressure (CoP) parameters (these CoP parameters; Length in mm, Area in mm2 and Speed in m/s are combined to report the static posturography).
9 weeks
Walking speed
Time Frame: 9 weeks
Ten-meter walk test
9 weeks
TUG
Time Frame: 9 weeks
Timed up and go test
9 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Oviedo

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Luis Santos, PhD, Department of Physical Education and Sport (University of León, Spain)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

January 29, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 30, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

March 30, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 15, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 18, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

January 22, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 21, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 16, 2025

Last Verified

January 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • #08/18

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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.

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