Fradkin Yuli, Anguera Joaquin A, Simon Alexander J, De Taboada Luis, Steingold Eugenia
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.
Director of Clinical Division, Neuroscape Associate Professor, Neurology and Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences & Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025 Jan 29;4:1477839. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2025.1477839. eCollection 2025.
Small pilot studies have indicated that transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) may help alleviate symptoms of neurological conditions like depression, traumatic brain injury and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
To examine the effect of tPBM on the behavioral symptoms of ASD and brain electrophysiology in children aged 2-7.
We conducted an open label, one-arm study with 23 participants, aged 2-7, previously diagnosed with ASD. We delivered non-invasively to all participants pulses of near-infrared light (wavelength 850 nm, pulse 40 Hz) to cortical nodes of Default Mode Network, Broca and Wernicke areas, and occipital lobe of the brain, twice weekly for 10 weeks. The tPBM was delivered using an investigational medical device designed for this purpose. Changes in ASD symptoms were measured using pre- and post-intervention scores on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS-2, 2nd Edition). We collected electroencephalogram (EEG) data after each treatment session from all children who tolerated wearing the EEG cap to monitor changes in brain activity.
The intervention resulted in a significant 7-point reduction in average CARS-2 scores ( = 10.23, < .0001), along with decreased delta power and increased gamma and beta power in EEG readings. The increase in gamma power was statistically significant [(14) = 2.30, = 0.047]. Changes in EEG power were significantly correlated with the number of sessions (delta: (192) = -0.18, = .013; gamma: (192) = .19, = .007; beta: (192) = .15, = .04). Improvements in CARS-2 scores were negatively correlated with changes in delta and beta power (delta: (15) = -.59, = .020; beta: (15) = -.54, = .037). No moderate or severe side effects were reported.
This study supports the potential of tPBM as a safe and effective treatment for ASD, and it suggests that EEG measurements may serve as a useful biomarker for future research.
小型试点研究表明，经颅光生物调节（tPBM）可能有助于缓解抑郁症、创伤性脑损伤和自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）等神经疾病的症状。
研究tPBM对2至7岁儿童ASD行为症状和脑电生理的影响。
我们对23名年龄在2至7岁、先前被诊断为ASD的参与者进行了一项开放标签、单臂研究。我们对所有参与者非侵入性地发送近红外光脉冲（波长850 nm，脉冲频率40 Hz）至默认模式网络、布洛卡区和韦尼克区的皮质节点以及大脑枕叶，每周两次，共10周。tPBM使用为此目的设计的研究性医疗设备进行。使用干预前后的儿童自闭症评定量表（CARS-2，第2版）评分来测量ASD症状的变化。我们在每次治疗 session 后从所有能够耐受佩戴脑电图帽的儿童中收集脑电图（EEG）数据，以监测大脑活动的变化。
干预使CARS-2平均得分显著降低7分（ = 10.23， <.0001），同时脑电图读数中的δ波功率降低，γ波和β波功率增加。γ波功率的增加具有统计学意义[（14） = 2.30， = 0.047]。脑电图功率的变化与治疗 session 的次数显著相关（δ波：（192） = -0.18， = 0.013；γ波：（192） =.19， = 0.007；β波：（192） =.15， = 0.04）。CARS-2得分的改善与δ波和β波功率的变化呈负相关（δ波：（15） = -0.59， = 0.020；β波：（15） = -0.54， = 0.037）。未报告中度或重度副作用。
本研究支持tPBM作为一种安全有效的ASD治疗方法的潜力，并表明脑电图测量可能作为未来研究的有用生物标志物。
