Advanced Intervention Effects of Pulsed and Steady Transcranial Photobiomodulation on Sleep, Mood, and EEG Signal Regulation

• Published in: Journal of biophotonics Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. e70004 - n/a
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xuran, Miao, Xiaojing, Jiang, Hui, Ren, Yi, Huo, Longfei, Liu, Muqing, Chen, Houbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA 01.06.2025; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Affect - radiation effects; Anxiety; continue‐wave light; Depression - physiopathology; EEG; EEG signal regulation; Electroencephalography; Emotional factors; emotional outcomes; Emotions; Humans; Low-Level Light Therapy; Male; Mental depression; pulsed‐wave light; Sleep - radiation effects; Sleep and wakefulness; Sleepiness; transcranial photobiomodulation; Variance analysis; Young Adult; EEG signal regulation; continue‐wave light; transcranial photobiomodulation; pulsed‐wave light; emotional outcomes
• ISSN: 1864-063X; 1864-0648; 1864-0648
• DOI: 10.1002/jbio.70004

ABSTRACT Background Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) enhances cognitive and emotional states. We compared continuous‐wave (CW) and pulsed‐wave (PW) tPBM effects on 24 healthy males. Method Participants received 630 nm tPBM at 95 mW/cm2 for 10 min: Sham, CW, or PW (500 Hz). Outcomes were assessed using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) (for measuring sleepiness), State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (for assessing anxiety), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (for measuring stress), and Beck Depression Inventory‐II (BDI‐II) (for evaluating depressive symptoms), and 32‐channel EEG at baseline, treatment, and rest phases. Results Paired t‐tests showed PW tPBM significantly improved sleepiness, anxiety, stress, and depression scores post‐intervention (p < 0.05). ANOVA analyses indicated PW tPBM increased Alpha and Gamma band EEG power versus baseline (p < 0.05). Conclusion PW tPBM may improve cognitive and emotional outcomes and modulate brain activity, offering therapeutic insights.