Journal
LASERS IN MEDICAL SCIENCE
Volume 37, Issue 1, Pages 61-75Publisher
SPRINGER LONDON LTD
DOI: 10.1007/s10103-021-03301-5
Keywords
Traumatic spinal cord injuries; Photobiomodulation; Low-level laser therapy; Animal studies
Categories
Funding
- Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences [97-0338-40875]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study suggests that laser therapy with wavelengths between 600 and 850 nm can effectively suppress inflammation, promote M2 polarization of inflammatory cells, and aid wound healing. Additionally, this therapy can improve axon regeneration and remyelination, leading to better locomotor recovery.
This study was designed to determine the effective therapeutic parameters and evaluate the regenerative potential of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) after traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs) in animal studies. The EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were searched on October 5, 2019, and followed with an update on January 2, 2021. All animal studies discussing the effect of LLLT on main pathophysiological events after TSCI, including inflammation, axon growth, remyelination, glial scar formation, cavity size, and locomotor recovery, were included. For statistical analysis, we used mean difference with 95% confidence intervals for locomotor recovery. In total, 19 articles were included based on our criteria. The results showed that regardless of laser type, laser beams with a wavelength between 600 and 850 nm significantly suppress inflammation and led inflammatory cells to M2 polarization and wound healing. Also, laser therapy using these wavelengths for more than 2 weeks significantly improved axon regeneration and remyelination. Improvement of locomotor recovery was more efficient using wavelengths less than 700 nm (SMD = 1.21; 95%CI: 0.09, 2.33; p = 0.03), lasers with energy densities less than 100 J/cm(2) (SMD = 1.72; 95%CI: 0.84, 2.59; p = 0.0001) and treatment duration between 1 and 2 weeks (SMD = 2.21; 95%CI: 1.24, 3.19; p < 0.00001). The LLLT showed promising potential to modulate pathophysiological events and recovery after TSCI, although there was heterogeneity in study design and reporting methods, which should be considered in future studies.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available