How has photobiomodulation been studied in dementia and cognition?

Twenty adults aged at least 50 with mild cognitive impairment were randomized to 810 nm PBM or sham. This single blind study used home sessions of 20 minutes, six days weekly for six weeks, with cognitive tests, blood sampling and brain imaging.

J Alzheimers Dis · 2026 · PMID 42231857

Eighty people with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease were randomized to active or sham 808 nm transcranial PBM. This double blind study applied six sessions weekly for 12 weeks and measured cognitive scales.

J Alzheimers Dis · 2026 · PMID 42024020

Stage one randomized 223 adults to 1064 nm transcranial PBM or sham and assessed attention tasks. Stage two studied 52 adults with ADHD using tasks and functional near infrared spectroscopy before and after exposure.

BMC Psychiatry · 2026 · PMID 42449279

Thirty three people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease were randomized to active or sham combined stimulation. Transcranial direct current and intranasal 850 nm light were applied together for 50 sessions over ten weeks, with cognitive scales assessed in a double blind study.

Neurol Ther · 2026 · PMID 41996008

Forty three adults with cognitive symptoms after COVID 19 were randomized to transcranial and intranasal PBM or sham; 41 were analyzed. This double blind study measured cognitive tasks after 20 minute sessions, six days weekly for eight weeks.

EClinicalMedicine · 2026 · PMID 41768981

An EEG classification study of 88 people with Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia or healthy control status added longitudinal EEG from one PBM case. The 88 people were not all PBM recipients.

Sensors (Basel) · 2026 · PMID 42740150

Records of two adolescents with PANS or PANDAS symptoms were reviewed retrospectively. Home 1070 nm transcranial PBM was combined with neurofeedback, with cognitive tasks, EEG and symptom scales recorded.

Front Psychiatry · 2026 · PMID 42756041

Twenty nine people with cognitive decline used home transcranial PBM for 12 weeks. This single arm study collected functional near infrared spectroscopy during exposure and analyzed it alongside cognitive scores.

Front Aging Neurosci · 2026 · PMID 41767844

Thirty one women reporting cognitive difficulties after chemotherapy received transcranial PBM for 20 minutes weekly for at least ten weeks. FACT Cog questionnaires were compared before and after without a separate control group.

Support Care Cancer · 2026 · PMID 41484584

A network meta analysis examined 34 papers containing 35 randomized trials with 1,559 people with Alzheimer’s disease. It compared cognitive scales across PBM, direct current and magnetic stimulation; the PBM specific sample is not reported in the abstract.

Lasers Med Sci · 2026 · PMID 42487022

A narrative review examined human PBM, magnetic and electrical stimulation studies in frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia. It organized methods and measures by subtype; paper counts and total sample size are not reported in the abstract.

Front Aging Neurosci · 2026 · PMID 42422111

A network meta analysis searched eight databases for PBM, environmental, drug, cognitive and exercise interventions in Alzheimer’s disease. It initially identified 4,788 records; final paper and participant counts are not reported in the abstract.

J Prev Alzheimers Dis · 2026 · PMID 41966601

A review examined PBM and other central and peripheral stimulation literature on chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and cognitive impairment. It covered vascular, white matter and synaptic measures; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

CNS Neurosci Ther · 2026 · PMID 42605969

A network meta analysis reviewed 91 randomized trials with 12,242 people with Alzheimer’s disease, covering PBM, drugs, cognitive training, exercise and magnetic stimulation. Cognitive and daily living scales were examined; the PBM specific sample is not reported in the abstract.

iScience · 2026 · PMID 42668611

A chapter synthesized the authors’ human studies of prefrontal infrared laser exposure in healthy adults and neuropsychiatric populations. It covered cognition and brain metabolism methods; paper counts and total samples are not reported in the abstract.

Int Rev Neurobiol · 2026 · PMID 42613142

A meta analysis examined 16 PBM studies in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease. Learning data involved 386 animals; analyses were organized by animal model, wavelength and energy density.

Eur J Med Res · 2026 · PMID 41761363

A review examined PBM, magnetic, electrical, sensory and ultrasound stimulation literature in cognitive impairment. It synthesized methods related to memory, attention and executive function; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Am J Transl Res · 2026 · PMID 42325796

A review examined human and animal literature on PBM, sensory stimulation, music, olfactory and tactile interventions in Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive and tissue measurements were considered; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Neurosci Biobehav Rev · 2026 · PMID 42843100

A review examined PBM, immune approaches, sleep and exercise literature concerning brain drainage and lymphatic clearance in Alzheimer’s disease. Paper counts and human or animal sample sizes are not reported in the abstract.

Int J Mol Sci · 2026 · PMID 41828536

A narrative review examined seven neuromodulation approaches including PBM in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. It compared stimulation targets, methods and measurements; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Front Aging Neurosci · 2026 · PMID 42923644

A review compared transcranial PBM with other stimulation methods in cognitive and brain aging. It covered light propagation modeling, dosimetry and protocols; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Int Rev Neurobiol · 2026 · PMID 42613140

A network meta analysis examined 36 randomized trials with 1,445 people with Alzheimer’s disease. It compared cognitive, daily living and mood scales across PBM and other stimulation methods; the PBM specific sample is not reported in the abstract.

Front Neurosci · 2026 · PMID 42798437

A narrative review examined clinical, animal and mechanistic literature on PBM and other stimulation in Alzheimer’s disease, proposing brain and heart measurements as a research framework. Paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Rev Neurosci · 2026 · PMID 42817879

A review synthesized retinal, optic nerve and visual cortex literature in Alzheimer’s disease and examined PBM and 40 Hz stimulation. Tissue and cognitive measurements were covered; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Vision (Basel) · 2026 · PMID 42646820

A review examined clinical and animal research on PBM, magnetic, electrical and other stimulation for cognitive impairment after stroke. Cognitive tests and brain function measures were considered; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Front Psychiatry · 2026 · PMID 41836667

A systematic review searched six databases and included seven sleep intervention studies in people with subjective cognitive decline. One study involved PBM; total participant numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Geriatr Nurs · 2026 · PMID 41997093

A review examined PBM, ultrasound, drug, surgical and lifestyle literature on cerebral lymphatic clearance in Alzheimer’s disease. Methods and imaging markers were reviewed; paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Alzheimers Dement · 2026 · PMID 42151696

A review examined PBM, drug and surgical literature and human imaging methods concerning meningeal lymphatics in Alzheimer’s disease. Paper and sample counts are not reported in the abstract.

Mol Neurodegener · 2026 · PMID 42277828

APP/PS1 and 3×Tg mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease received PBM. Cognition, immune cells and brain tissue were examined using immunofluorescence and transcriptomics; animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Brain · 2026 · PMID 42489128

Neonatal rats with hypoxic ischemic brain injury received 810 nm laser exposure for ten minutes twice daily for three days. Tissue and water maze learning assessments were performed; animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Behav Brain Funct · 2026 · PMID 42050654

APP/PS1 mice received 810 nm light pulsed at 10 Hz for 540 seconds daily, six days weekly for seven weeks. Water maze behavior and brain amyloid markers were measured; animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg · 2026 · PMID 42380069

Mice with induced diabetes received PBM alone or with metformin or insulin. Memory tasks, nociception and brain and nerve tissue were compared; animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Photochem Photobiol Sci · 2026 · PMID 42704582

5xFAD mice received continuous or 40 Hz pulsed transcranial PBM. Cognition, brain vessels, glial cells and amyloid were compared; animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Cyborg Bionic Syst · 2026 · PMID 42344710

An animal model of hypobaric hypoxia received transcranial PBM, with Barnes maze, cerebral blood flow, tissue and transcriptome measurements. Species and animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 · PMID 42468300

APP/PS1 mice received 808 nm transcranial PBM pulsed at 40 Hz. In vivo Raman imaging and mass spectrometry examined brain fatty acids alongside cognition; animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Anal Chem · 2026 · PMID 42266046

Adult rats received frontal 810 nm PBM at 5 or 40 Hz, while aged rats received 40 Hz. Cognitive tasks and brain proteins were measured; animal numbers are not reported in the abstract.

Geroscience · 2026 · PMID 42082819

Forty female Wistar rats aged ten or eighteen months received 810 nm PBM or sham for twelve consecutive days. Maze behavior and brain cytochrome oxidase activity were measured.

Physiol Behav · 2026 · PMID 41763463

Primary mouse hippocampal neurons were exposed to amyloid beta for 24 hours and received 808 nm PBM. Confocal microscopy and mitochondrial analyses were performed; cell counts and replicates are not reported in the abstract.

Int J Mol Sci · 2026 · PMID 42737733

Adult hippocampal neural stem cells received 808 nm nanopulsed laser exposure before neuronal differentiation in vitro. Amyloid binding, mitochondrial measures and gene expression were assessed; cell counts and replicates are not reported in the abstract.

J Alzheimers Dis · 2026 · PMID 41603339