Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Anxiety Symptoms
This study is exploring if transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), which uses near-infrared light on the forehead, can help reduce anxiety symptoms. Researchers are also looking at how tPBM works with attention bias assessment and modification, a behavioral task that helps retrain attention away from threats. You might be able to join if you are 18 to 100 years old and have moderate sub-clinical anxiety and minimal to mild sub-clinical depression, as measured by specific questionnaires (STAI and PHQ-9 scores). The study will measure changes in your cognitive scores on a dot-probe task and changes in brain activity (oxygenated hemoglobin) to see if these interventions are successful. The study is currently unclear on its recruitment status.
- Study design
- This is a single-blind, sham-controlled interventional study planning to enroll 280 participants. It will compare transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) alone and tPBM combined with attention bias assessment and modification.
- What's involved
- You would have three in-person visits, with an online follow-up a week after the last visit. During visits, you will complete questionnaires, participate in attention bias tasks, and receive transcranial photobiomodulation or a sham treatment while wearing a brain activity monitor.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Participants will have an online follow-up one week after their last in-person visit.
AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.
Transcranial Photobiomodulation in Anxiety Disorders
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesWho to contact
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Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- Composite cognitive score in the dot-probe taskVisit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (three days after Visit 1), Visit 3 (1 week after Visit 2)
The participant pays attention to a fixation cross in the center of the screen, which is followed by the presentation of two images on the left and right of the screen. One of these new images is a "threat" image, while the other is neutral. Following each trial of stimuli presentation, a probe type ("\<" vs. "\>") will randomly appear in the same location previously occupied by either the threatening or neutral image and remain on the screen until the participant has responded. Participants respond to the probe type by pressing the "←" or the "→" arrow key, respectively, on the keyboard, as quickly but as accurately as possible. The probe randomly replaces the neutral or the negative stimulus with equal frequency (50/50). The single primary outcome is the composite cognitive score which is calculated on the basis of performance in this task.
- Change in concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopyVisit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (three days after Visit 1), Visit 3 (1 week after Visit 2)
Hemodynamic activity is assessed non-invasively using near-infrared spectroscopy. In this procedure, a participant wears an apparatus on the head which contains an array of light sources and detectors. Light is applied to the surface of the skin, and a small fraction of the light passes through the underlying tissue and reflects back to the surface, where it is detected and the number of photons at specific light wavelengths are counted by a computer. This photon count can be converted to changes in concentration of metabolic indices, such as oxygenated/deoxygenated hemoglobin.