Transcranial Photobiomodulation in Anxiety Disorders

Conditions

• Symptoms of Anxiety

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 100 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Attention bias assessment and modification — BEHAVIORAL
  Attention bias assessment and modification involve two versions of the dot-probe task. These tasks are based on the premise that repeated attention shifts can retrain attentional biases, with the expectation that reducing attentional bias toward threats will alleviate sub-clinical anxiety symptoms.
• Transcranial photobiomodulation — DEVICE
  Participants will receive near-infrared light at 1064 nanometers to the right side of the forehead for 8 minutes. The investigators have introduced this form of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) as a means of human cognitive enhancement, and as an adjunct for attention bias modification for the reduction of symptoms of depression. In the present study, the investigators wish to extend these findings to the use of attention bias modification for the reduction of sub-clinical anxiety.

Study Details

The investigators have previously shown that safe, non-invasive methods of brain stimulation such as the administration of transcranial infrared light can result in improvements to cognition and emotion. The investigators hypothesize that transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) can be used in conjunction with attention bias assessment and modification to reduce anxiety symptoms in individuals with sub-clinical anxiety.

Key Dates

Start date

Sep 1, 2025

Status verified

May 2026

Primary completion

Sep 30, 2027

Completion

Sep 30, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment

280 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Active Comparator: Arm 1: attention bias assessment (ABA), transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM)
  Participants will receive attention bias assessment (ABA) in conjunction with active transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) treatment to the forehead.
• Sham Comparator: Arm 2: attention bias assessment (ABA), sham tPBM
  Participants will receive attention bias assessment (ABA) in conjunction with sham (laser light off) transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) treatment to the forehead.
• Active Comparator: Arm 3: attention bias assessment and modification (ABA/ABM), transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM)
  Participants will receive attention bias assessment plus attention bias modification (ABA/ABM) in conjunction with active transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) treatment to the forehead.
• Sham Comparator: Arm 4: attention bias assessment and modification (ABA/ABM), sham tPBM
  Participants will receive attention bias assessment plus attention bias modification (ABA/ABM) in conjunction with sham (laser light off) transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) treatment to the forehead.

Primary Outcome Measure

Composite cognitive score in the dot-probe task [ Time Frame: Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (three days after Visit 1), Visit 3 (1 week after Visit 2) ]

Central Contacts

• Francisco Gonzalez-Lima, Ph.D.
  512-537-5257
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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