Photobiomodulation in Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial
Abstract
Photobiomodulation, which uses non-thermal and non-ionizing light in the visible and infrared spectrum, has been proposed as a potential strategy for improving the symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) [1], but this has not been tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). We thus sought to assess whether photobiomodulation can ameliorate the cardinal motor symptoms of PD using an RCT design. The present RCT (NCT03811613) was conducted from January 29theApril 6th, 2018. Patients were randomly assigned (http://www.graphpad.com/quickcalcs/randomize1.cfm-) to a photobiomodulation or sham (control) group. Researchers in charge of the sessions and endpoint assessment were blinded to participants’ allocation. The study complied with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement and was approved by the local Ethics Committee (reference #08/ 18). All participants gave their written informed consent to take part in the study. They were recruited from a local PD patients association (Asturias, Spain), where all study procedures were performed. Eligibility criteria were: diagnosis of idiopathic PD; stage 1e2 on the Hoehn and Yahr Scale; no neurological condition other than PD; able to stand for 2min and walk 10m without assistance; and no severe dyskinesias or “ON-OFF” phases. Participants were instructed to maintain their medication and usual activity routine during the study. They received 18 photobiomodulation or sham sessions for 9wks. During the…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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