Alzheimer's and Photobiomodulation: before and after 12 weeks of therapy
In 2017, Anita Saltmarche conducted a scientific study whose aim was to evaluate the use of photobiomodulation therapy on Alzheimer's patients. In 12 weeks, this red light therapy showed a significant improvement in the cognitive functions of patients, as well as an improvement in their quality of life.
Alzheimer's disease
First of all, you should know that Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in humans. It causes the progressive and irreversible loss of mental functions, particularly memory. To date, it is considered incurable.
Also, in France, 900,000 patients have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Which makes it the leading cause of heavy dependency in the elderly. As well as the leading cause of entry into an institution.
Treating Alzheimer's disease with photobiomodulation therapy
Brain Photobiomodulation therapy involves applying a specific red light to the patient's skull to treat brain injuries and other neurological and psychiatric problems.
This therapy is non-invasive and painless.
If you are not yet familiar with this therapy, I invite you to read this page .
In this study, light was applied to the patients' skulls on a daily basis. Either using a photobiomodulation helmet (with its intranasal module) for 20 minutes. Or using the intranasal module alone for 25 minutes.
What progress has been made for these Alzheimer's patients treated using photobiomodulation?
The Canadian scientist followed 5 patients, aged 72 to 90. Their dementia was described as "mild to moderately severe". In order to measure the evolution of their dementia, the patients were evaluated before, during and after treatment, using 2 tests:
- the Mini-Mental State Examination ( MMSE )
- the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale ( ADAS-Cog )
After 12 weeks of photobiomodulation treatment, cognitive improvements were significant in both tests . These improvements have been measured, but it is difficult to understand the results obtained by analyzing only figures...
An improvement in the quality of life
Improvements in scores on these 2 tests were confirmed by improvements in the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. Indeed, in this study, Anita Saltmarche described the improvements in the quality of life of these 5 patients.
Below are his notes:
Patient number 1
Before treatment:
Worried, spoke mainly Portuguese with family, complained “her head was too heavy to hold, headache”. Only answered questions. Family reported more anxious, reduced ability to cook or clean, less interactive with family.
After 12 weeks of photobiomodulation treatment:
Openly smiling, laughing, and cuddling assessor. Frequently reported feeling "lighter," "clearer," no headaches. Family reported "more talkative and active" (i.e., cooking, cleaning, walking, answering the phone). Able to give a recipe from memory to assessor.
After 4 weeks without treatment:
Gradually more withdrawn, less engaged. More tired, feeling
"troubled", "heavy head", headaches returned. Cooks and cleans less, personal hygiene decreased. Did not want to participate in family gatherings.
Patient number 2
Before treatment:
Infrequent eye contact with the assessor. Responds mainly in Italian (native language) with long pauses between questions.
Stooped posture, shuffling gait. Home care. Assisted with mobility, dressing, and personal hygiene. Incontinent 6 nights out of 7. Does not initiate conversation, minimal engagement during family visits. Has not discussed wife's death.
After 12 weeks of photobiomodulation treatment:
Looks directly at assessor, spoke mostly English, humorous and smiling. Remembers assessor's name, reason for visit and says "do better". At week 6, entered office more upright, at a brisk pace, moves independently from chair to chair. Incontinent 1-2 nights out of 7. Sometimes dresses independently, more communicative, happier with caregiver and family. Acknowledges wife's death and able to talk to family.
After 1 week without treatment:
First week without photobiomodulation treatment, rapid decline in behavior (uncooperative and belligerent); functional decline (needed assistance with mobility, hygiene, and dressing); and cognitive decline (less able to follow a conversation, respond appropriately, or remember events). Family requested resumption of photobiomodulation treatment (editor's note: 1 week after discontinuation)
Patient number 3
Before treatment:
Humor was used to compensate for the inability to answer questions.
Memory loss denied. Thought he was still working. Reads and listens to the news. Wife not sure what he remembered. Minimal discussion of news or events.
After 12 weeks of photobiomodulation treatment:
Patient stated, "It is easier to answer the test questions," admits when unable. Wife stated he was more interactive and read his professional publications. Week 10, foot ulcer recurred, swelling below knee, erythema, pain, grimacing while moving from chair to chair, and less radiant and interactive.
After 4 weeks without treatment:
Patient treated in clinic for his foot, little change. Had foot pain all the time, leg edema below the knee. Less focused during testing, reduced interaction, less humorous, and decreased personal hygiene (e.g., not clean shaven).
Patient number 4
Before treatment:
Previously was outgoing and humorous, but over time felt less happy. Agreed when his wife said he was increasingly forgetful (i.e., only drove on familiar routes, and lost things). Asked his wife for the answers to the test. Works part-time, cooks his own traditional meals.
After 12 weeks of photobiomodulation treatment:
Resumes artistic activity (sculpture). Able to change route to accommodate traffic, forgets less, requires less memory recall. Less dependent on wife for “entertainment,” generally happier. Looks less at wife for answers on tests, laughs, then answers independently.
After 4 weeks without treatment:
No decline during the 4 weeks post-treatment. The wife confirmed that the husband had not lost the gains made during treatment.
Patient number 5
Before treatment:
Patient aware of memory loss and Alzheimer's diagnosis. Interactive, but slightly reserved. Aware when unable to answer test questions, needs prompting to provide an answer. Stated that he and his wife continued to live full lives, but that the future was frightening.
After 12 weeks of photobiomodulation treatment:
Week 3, said he felt brighter, the world had more colors, less often forgot why he entered a room. Worked in the garden with his wife, preparing to start oil painting again. More humorous, interactive, less hesitant during tests.
The wife (nurse) said she was pleased with the positive changes.
After 4 weeks without treatment:
Gradual decrease in “brightness and clarity”.
Both the patient and his wife noticed a decline in memory, concentration, less able to initiate and complete tasks independently.
Conclusion
Finally, Anita Saltmarche specifies that photobiomodulation therapy was very well tolerated by these 5 patients. No adverse effects were reported.
Finally, know that in 2019, these results were reproduced and confirmed by another American scientist. I will surely tell you about it in a future article.