مطالعات روان‌شناسی بالینی

Investigating the Effectiveness of Transcranial Laser Photobiomodulation on Reducing Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

Masoud Bagheri 1
Shima Ferdosi 2
Azam Kermanian 3

1 Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.

2 MSc in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22054/jcps.2026.92428.3334
چکیده
Introduction and Objective: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition that often proves resistant to standard treatments, such as medication and psychotherapy. This study investigated the effectiveness of transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) in reducing OCD symptoms. Given the limitations of pharmacological interventions, non-invasive neuromodulation represents a promising alternative targeting neuroinflammation.
Research Methodology: The research employed a qusi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group. Thirty patients diagnosed with OCD based on DSM-5 criteria were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The experimental group received ten sessions of laser intervention (wavelength: 810 nm , 20 minutes per session) over five weeks, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Data were collected using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).
Findings: The findings revealed a significant reduction in OCD symptoms in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.001, F = 56.72, η2 = 0.76). The results indicate that t-PBM is an effective and safe intervention, likely functioning through anti-inflammatory mechanisms and enhanced neuroplasticity.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that transcranial photobiomodulation laser therapy is a non-invasive, safe, and effective intervention for reducing symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. This method likely operates through mechanisms such as reducing neuroinflammation, improving mitochondrial metabolism, and enhancing neuroplasticity. Given these promising results, it is recommended that this intervention be considered as a complementary treatment alongside pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches for patients with OCD, particularly in cases resistant to standard treatments.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Transcranial Photobiomodulation
Neuromodulation
Low-Level Laser Therapy

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Barrett, D. W., & Gonzalez-Lima, F. (2013). Transcranial infrared laser stimulation produces beneficial cognitive and emotional effects in humans. Neuroscience, 230, 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.10.036

Biria, M., Banca, P., Healy, M. P., Keser, E., Sawiak, S. J., Rodgers, C. T. & Robbins, T. W. (2023). Cortical glutamate and GABA are related to compulsive behaviour in individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder and healthy controls. Nature Communications, 14(1), 3366. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38695-z

Brinkhuijsen, M., Koenegracht, F., & Meesters, Y. (2003). Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and of obsessive–compulsive disorder reduced by light therapy. Journal of Affective Disorders, 75(2), 189-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0327(03)00003-X

Coelho, D. R. A., Salvi, J. D., Vieira, W. F., & Cassano, P. (2024). Inflammation in obsessive–compulsive disorder: A literature review and hypothesis‐based potential of transcranial photobiomodulation. Journal of Neuroscience Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.25317

Esfandzad, A., Shams, G., Meisami, A., & Erfan, A. (2016). The role of mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and effective communication with others in predicting symptoms of algebraic obsession. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, 22(4), 270-283. [In Persian]

Farrar, M., et al. (2019). Treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 6, 230–245.

Goodman, W. K., Price, L. H., Rasmussen, S. A., Mazure, C., Fleischmann, R. L., Hill, C. L., ... & Charney, D. S. (1989). The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: I. Development, use, and reliability. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46(11), 1006-1011.

Hadadgar, S., Peimani, J., Hassani-Abharian, P., Mashayekh, M., Peivandi, P., & Fekrazad, R. (2024). Comparative effects of cognitive rehabilitation and photobiomodulation on drug craving in treatment‐seeking opioid addicts. Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery, 42(1), 12-20. https://doi.org/10.1089/photob.2023.0064

Hamblin, M. R. (2017). Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophysics, 4(3), 337-361.

Izadi, R., & Abedi, M. R. (2013). Reduction of obsessive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder through acceptance and commitment therapy. Feiz, 17(3), 275-286. [In Persian]

Jalili Khiavi, P., Rasouli, A., Ghafari, F., Shabani, M., & Saed, O. (2025). Efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on positive, negative, and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms: A double-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, 31, E5451. [In Persian]

Kamaradova, D., Brunovsky, M., Prasko, J., Hajda, M., Grambal, A., & Latalova, K. (2018). EEG correlates of induced anxiety in obsessive-compulsive patients: Comparison of autobiographical and general anxiety scenarios. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 14, 2165-2174.

Mani, A., Ghelijkhani, S., Haghighat, R., Ahmadzadeh, L., Chohedri, E., & STH, A. (2018). Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the self-report form of Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A). Shiraz E-Medical Journal, 19(2). [In Persian]

Mehdizadeh, M., Farnam, A., & Nikzad, B. (2024). The effectiveness of photobiomodulation in mild cognitive impairment. The Neuroscience Journal of Shefaye Khatam, 13(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.61882/shefa.13.4.1 [In Persian]

Montazeri, K., Farhadi, M., Fekrazad, R., Akbarnejad, Z., Chaibakhsh, S., & Mahmoudian, S. (2021). Transcranial photobiomodulation in the management of brain disorders. Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology, B: Biology, 221, 112207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2021.112207

Nairuz, T., Cho, S., & Lee, J.-H. (2024). Photobiomodulation therapy on brain: Pioneering an innovative approach to revolutionize cognitive dynamics. Cells, 13(11), 966. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13110966

Nauczyciel, C., Le Jeune, F., Naudet, F., Douabin, S., Esquevin, A., Vérin, M., ... & Millet, B. (2014). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the orbitofrontal cortex for obsessive–compulsive disorder: A double-blind, crossover study. Translational Psychiatry, 4(5), e388. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2014.62

Paíno, M., Fonseca-Pedrero, E., Bousoño, M., & Giráldez, S. L. (2009). Light-therapy applications for DSM-IV-TR disease entities. The European Journal of Psychiatry, 23(3), 165-174. https://doi.org/10.4321/S0213-61632009000300005

Pourebrahimi, M., Rahimi, C., & Baniasadi, R. (2021). The effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation on the pattern of quantitative electroencephalography and the symptoms of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychological Studies, 17(3), 33-52. [In Persian]

Rajezi Esfahani, S., Motaghipour, Y., Kamkari, K., Zahiredin, A., & Janbozorgi, M. (2012). Reliability and Validity of the Persian Version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). IJPCP. 17(4), 297-303. http://ijpcp.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1453-en.html

Ruscio, A. M., Stein, D. J., Chiu, W. T., & Kessler, R. C. (2010). The epidemiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Molecular Psychiatry, 15(1), 53–63.

Salehpour, F., Mahmoudi, J., Kamari, F., Sadigh Eteghad, S., Rasta, S. H., & Hamblin, M. R. (2018). Brain photobiomodulation therapy: A narrative review. Molecular Neurobiology, 55(8), 6601–6636.

Sheth, S. A., & Mayberg, H. S. (2023). Deep brain stimulation for obsessive–compulsive disorder and depression. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 46, 33-53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-110122-110434

Smith, E. E., Schuller, T., Huys, D., Baldermann, J. C., Ullsperger, M., Allen, J. J., & Visser-Vandewalle, V. (2020). Prefrontal delta oscillations during deep brain stimulation predict treatment success in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Brain Stimulation, 13(1), 259-261.

Solemani, Y., et al. (2017). Pharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 11(1), e6350.

Wu, J. H., Yang, C. Y., Chang, Y. C., & Shan, Y. C. (2023). Effects of near-infrared pulsed light on the attention of human beings using electroencephalography. Life, 13(7), 1490. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13071490

Yoney, T. H., Pigott, T. A., L'Heureux, F., & Rosenthal, N. E. (1991). Seasonal variation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Preliminary experience with light treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148(12), 1727-1728. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.148.12.1727
مطالعات روان‌شناسی بالینی
دوره 17، شماره 62
بهار 1405
صفحه 49-57

صفحه اصلی

ارسال مقاله

تماس با ما