Evaluating Transcranial Photobiomodulation With Cognitive Training to Improve Memory and Brain Connectivity in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether transcranial photobiomodulation t-PBM, a light-based brain therapy, can improve memory and thinking skills in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment aMCI. This condition involves memory problems greater than normal aging and may increase the risk of Alzheimers disease. The study also aims to see if t-PBM changes how brain areas communicate, especially within the default mode network DMN. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active t-PBM or a sham inactive version, both combined with cognitive training. Each participant will take part in eight 20-minute sessions where the device is placed on the head during cognitive exercises. The active device delivers near-infrared light at gamma frequency, while the sham device looks and sounds the same but does not emit therapeutic light. The cognitive rehabilitation program involves pen-and-paper tasks targeting attention, memory, executive function, and language, with difficulty increasing over sessions. Participants will provide a blood sample for genetic testing and undergo brain fMRI scans before and after the 4-week intervention to measure brain connectivity changes. They will also complete cognitive tests and meet with a dietitian at the start and end of the study to monitor diet stability. Researchers will measure changes in cognitive abilities using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment MoCA and changes in brain network connectivity using resting-state fMRI. The study includes monitoring of genetic factors to explore how they might influence treatment responses.

Effects of Photobiomodularion on Brain Connectivity and Cognitive Function in Cognitive Impairment