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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1465621
This article is part of the Research Topic Neuroplasticity in Multiple Sclerosis View all articles

Systematic review of photobiomodulation for multiple sclerosis

Provisionally accepted
Vander Oliveira de Andrade Filho Vander Oliveira de Andrade Filho 1Marina O. Amarante Marina O. Amarante 1F. Gonzalez-Lima F. Gonzalez-Lima 2Sérgio Gomes da Silva Sérgio Gomes da Silva 1,3,4Fabrizio d. Cardoso Fabrizio d. Cardoso 3,4*
  • 1 Centro Universitário FAMINAS, Muriaé, Brazil
  • 2 Department of Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
  • 3 Hospital do Câncer de Muriaé, Fundação Cristiano Varella (FCV), Muriaé, Brazil
  • 4 Centro Universitário Redentor (UniREDENTOR/Afya), Itaperuna, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory chronic autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorder of the brain and spinal cord, resulting in loss of motor, sensorial, and cognitive function. Among the non-pharmacological interventions for several brain conditions, photobiomodulation (PBM) has gained attention in medical society for its neuroprotective effects. We systematically reviewed the effects of PBM on MS. Methods: We conducted a systematic search on the bibliographic databases (PubMed and ScienceDirect) with the keywords based on MeSH terms: PBM, lowlevel laser therapy, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, demyelination, and progressive multiple sclerosis. Data search was limited from 2012 to July 2020. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The initial systematic search identified 126 articles. Of these, 68 articles were removed by duplicity and 50 by screening. Thus, 8 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Results: The reviewed studies showed that PBM modulates brain markers linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Improvements in motor, sensorial, and cognitive functions in MS patients were also observed after PBM therapy. No study reported adverse effects of PBM. Conclusion:These findings suggest the potential of PBM as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for the management of MS, although further research is needed to standardize PBM protocols and assess its long-term effects.

    Keywords: photobiomodulation, Low-level laser therapy, Multiple Sclerosis, Autoimmune encephalomyelitis, demyelination

    Received: 16 Jul 2024; Accepted: 30 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Oliveira de Andrade Filho, Amarante, Gonzalez-Lima, Gomes da Silva and Cardoso. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Fabrizio d. Cardoso, Hospital do Câncer de Muriaé, Fundação Cristiano Varella (FCV), Muriaé, Brazil

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.