Study of Near-Infrared Light Treatment to Improve Brain Blood Flow in Adults with Major Depressive Disorder

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying if applying near infrared energy to the forehead can change blood flow in the brains of people with Major Depressive Disorder MDD. Near infrared energy is similar to light but invisible to the eye. This multi-center study involves about 60 adults with MDD undergoing MRI scans during transcranial photobiomodulation tPBM before and after treatment. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either active tPBM delivering near-infrared radiation at a dose of 291.7 mWcm2 for 333 seconds or a sham treatment with no radiation, over 16 sessions. All participants receive tPBM at the first and last visits. The treatment course spans multiple visits, with the active or sham treatment given from visit 2 to 18. During the study, participants undergo brain imaging and depression rating assessments at baseline and at various visits up to week 10. Researchers measure changes in cerebral blood flow and depression severity using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Safety and adherence are monitored throughout, with the study lasting about 10 weeks per participant.

Transcranial Near Infrared Radiation and Cerebral Blood Flow in Depression - R33