Effectiveness of Light for Enhancement of Cognition by Transcranial Repeated Application (ELECTRA)

Early Phase 1CompletedNCT02817061

Massachusetts General Hospital80 enrolled

Overview

Aim: Investigate whether transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) using near-infrared light exposure to the head, can improve frontal lobe executive function, working memory and overall mood in normal volunteer participants. Hypothesis: The investigators predict that tPBM will increase cognitive functioning, as measured by Cambridge Cognition cognitive testing in study subjects.

Photobiomodulation (PBM), also called low-level light therapy (LLLT), uses optical power densities less than 100 mW/cm², and usually in the red (600-700 nm) or near infrared (NIR) 780-1000 nm wavelength range. Different light sources (coherent lasers or non-coherent LEDs) used for PBM have been shown to produce beneficial cellular effects and to be responsible for preservation and recovery of tissue function in controlled trials in a wide range of disorders typified by stress injury or degeneration. During PBM, absorption of red or near-infrared photons by cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondrial respiratory chain causes an increase in cellular respiration that continues for much longer than the light is present when delivered at appropriate fluence and exposure durations. Primary cellular effects include increases in mitochondrial activity and ATP levels, production of low levels of reactive oxygen species, induction of transcription factors (including the pro- survival NF-kB), and inhibition of apoptosis. Over the past decade several studies have reported that a single, transcranial PBM treatment at 810 nm delivered to the head had significant, beneficial effect when used to treat acute ischemic stroke in several different animal models and also in human clinical trials. A similar approach was used to treat acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice and in humans. Pathological examination of the mouse brains demonstrated up- regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and stimulated neurogenesis in the hippocampus and increased synaptogenesis in the cortex. A clinical trial is currently in progress at MGH to treat persons with acute moderate TBI. Several studies have shown improvement of cognitive function in persons with chronic TBI. Studies have also been conducted in animal models and in persons with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression and anxiety. Only a very limited number of studies have so far been carried out to test NIR photobiomodulation in normal experimental rodents and in normal human volunteers. In this study, an LED array light source will be used that has been cleared by the FDA for other human uses.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Disease Type and/or Category Not Applicable

Interventions

OmniluxDEVICE

The Omnilux LED array sources can be changed to emit different wavelength.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 85 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age: 18-25 or 65-85 * Women of child-bearing potential, must use a double-barrier method for birth control (e.g. condoms with spermicide) if sexually active during the study and for 30 days post treatment of any kind. * Subject Informed Consent obtained in writing in compliance with local regulations prior to enrollment into this study. * The subject (and caregiver, if applicable) is willing to participate in this study for at least 12 weeks. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to speak or read English (necessary for cognitive testing software use). * Pregnancy or lactation * History of stroke or traumatic brain injury * Substance dependence or abuse in the past 6 months * Diagnosis with major psychiatric disease (Psychotic disorder or psychotic episode, bipolar affective disorder) * Diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition (autism or ADHD) * A traumatic event that resulted in PTSD * Any unstable medical illness (defined as any medical illness which has not been well-controlled with standard-of-care medications) * A significant skin condition (i.e., hemangioma, scleroderma, rash, open wound) or medical implant (e.g. metal plate, implantable shunt or valve) on the head. * Inability to understand or participate in the consent and performance of the study. * Those with Parkinson's Disease, End Stage Renal Disease, and/or End Stage Liver Disease

Locations (1)

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

ERT: Emotional Recognition Task

The median latency from stimulus onset to the subject's response button touch (i.e. emotion chosen) for all problems during assessment blocks.

Time frame: 16 weeks

PAL: Paired Associates Learning

The number of times the subject chose the incorrect box for a stimulus on assessment problems, plus an adjustment for the estimated number of errors they would have made on any problems, attempts and recalls they did not reach

Time frame: 16 weeks

RTI: Reaction Time

The mean duration between the onset of the stimulus and the release of the button. Calculated for correct, assessed trials where the stimulus could appear in any one of five locations.

Time frame: 16 weeks

RVP: Rapid Visual Information Processing

A' (A prime) is the signal detection measure of sensitivity to the target, regardless of response tendency (the expected range is 0.00 to 1.00; bad to good). In essence, this metric is a measure of how good the subject is at detecting target sequences.

Time frame: 16 weeks

SST: Stop Signal Task

The estimate of the length of time between the go stimulus and the stop stimulus at which the subject is able to successfully inhibit their response on 50% of the trials.

Time frame: 16 weeks

SWM: Spatial Working Memory

Between errors are defined as times the subject revisits a box in which a token has previously been found. This is calculated for trials of four, six and eight tokens.

Time frame: 16 weeks

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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