Brain health / cognition

Transcranial PBM for cognition in healthy adults systematic review and meta-analysis

Salehpour F, Majdi A, Pazhuhi M, et al. Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery. 2019.

Source

A meta-analysis of healthy adults reported improved cognition-related outcomes, but with publication-bias concerns.

Evidence grade

low

Effect direction

positive

Panel relevance

not-panel-replicable

Key findings

  • Nine publications met inclusion criteria; six full-text publications in young adults were meta-analyzed.
  • tPBM improved cognition-related outcomes with a standardized mean difference of 0.833.
  • Funnel plot asymmetry suggested possible publication bias.

Protocol details

WavelengthsNot reported nm
IrradianceNot reported mW/cm2
FluenceNot reported J/cm2
Session timeNot reported minutes
FrequencyVaried by study
DurationVaried by study
Treatment areaTranscranial targets
Device typeTranscranial photobiomodulation devices

Caveats

  • This is emerging cognitive-enhancement evidence, not settled consumer wellness guidance.
  • Devices and cranial placement matter more than whole-body panel proximity.