Cognitive Enhancement by Transcranial Photobiomodulation Is Associated With Cerebrovascular Oxygenation of the Prefrontal Cortex
Holmes E, Barrett DW, Saucedo CL, O'Connor P, Liu H, Gonzalez-Lima F
Frontiers in neuroscience · 54 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- University or hospital
- University of Texas at Austin
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2019-10-18 · Front Neurosci · vol. 13 · p. 1129
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media
- Cited
- 83 citations · more than 95% of similar papers · 4.5× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 38 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Laser Applications in Dentistry and Medicine · Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques · Migraine and Headache Studies
- Keywords
- Prefrontal cortex, Functional near-infrared spectroscopy, Transcranial direct-current stimulation, Neuroscience, Oxygenation, Neurocognitive, Deoxygenated Hemoglobin, Cognition, Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance, Medicine, Psychology, Working memory, Stimulation, Internal medicine, Hemoglobin
6 authors
From US
- Emma E. HolmesThe University of Texas at Austin
- Douglas W. BarrettThe University of Texas at Austin
- Celeste L. SaucedoThe University of Texas at Austin
- Patrick J. O’ConnorThe University of Texas at Austin
- Hanli LiuThe University of Texas at Arlington
- Francisco Gonzalez-Lima · correspondingThe University of Texas at Austin
Abstract
Transcranial infrared laser stimulation (TILS) is a novel, safe, non-invasive method of brain photobiomodulation. Laser stimulation of the human prefrontal cortex causes cognitive enhancement. To investigate the hemodynamic effects in prefrontal cortex by which this cognitive enhancement occurs, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which is a safe, non-invasive method of monitoring hemodynamics. We measured concentration changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, total hemoglobin and differential effects in 18 healthy adults during sustained attention and working memory performance, before and after laser of the right prefrontal cortex. We also measured 16 sham controls without photobiomodulation. fNIRS revealed large effects on prefrontal oxygenation during cognitive enhancement post-laser and provided the first demonstration that cognitive enhancement by transcranial photobiomodulation is associated with cerebrovascular oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex. Sham control data served to rule out that the laser effects were due to pre-post task repetition or other non-specific effects. A laser-fNIRS combination may be useful to stimulate and monitor cerebrovascular oxygenation associated with neurocognitive enhancement in healthy individuals and in those with prefrontal hypometabolism, such as in cognitive aging, dementia and many neuropsychiatric disorders.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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