Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jun;46(2):331-348.
doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2023.02.013. Epub 2023 Mar 25.

Photobiomodulation: An Emerging Treatment Modality for Depression

Willians Fernando Vieira  1 , Dan V Iosifescu  2 , Kayla Marie McEachern  3 , Maia Gersten  3 , Paolo Cassano  4
Affiliations
Review

Photobiomodulation: An Emerging Treatment Modality for Depression

Willians Fernando Vieira et al. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is considered a global crisis. Conventional treatments for MDD consist of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, although a significant number of patients with depression respond poorly to conventional treatments and are diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) therapy uses near-infrared light, delivered transcranially, to modulate the brain cortex. The aim of this review was to revisit the antidepressant effects of t-PBM, with a special emphasis on individuals with TRD. A search on PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov tracked clinical studies using t-PBM for the treatment of patients diagnosed with MDD and TRD.

Keywords: LLLT; Major depressive disorder; NIR; Photobiomodulation; Transcranial photobiomodulation; Treatment-resistant depression.

PubMed Disclaimer

Substances