Combination of Light and Ultrasound to Reduce Abdominal Fat

NCT ID: NCT05155683

Last Updated: 2023-12-12

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

79 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-03-01

Study Completion Date

2023-06-30

Brief Summary

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Light and ultrasound can be interesting alternatives to reduce abdominal fat. Thus, the main objective of this study will be to evaluate the effects of these isolated techniques and their association in subcutaneous abdominal localized fat. These techniques will be used adding muscle electrostimulation in all groups. A total of 40 female participants will be recruited at the university outpatient, which will be distributed among four experimental groups: light + sham ultrasound + electrostimulation; light sham + ultrasound + electrostimulation; combined treatment (light + ultrasound) + electrostimulation; sham combined treatment + electrostimulation. The treatments will consist of eight sessions, twice a week for a month, being 90 minutes per session.

Detailed Description

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The search for the ideal shape and the lifestyle that favours the increase of adipose depots are some factors responsible for the increasing demand for procedures to reduce localized fat. It has been shown that photobiomodulation (PBM) and low-frequency ultrasound (LOFU) can be interesting alternatives to treat this aesthetic dysfunction. However, there is no consensus about the best parameters for the application of these therapeutic resources. Thus, the main objective of this study will be to evaluate the effects of these isolated techniques and their association in subcutaneous abdominal localized fat.This will be a controlled, randomised, double-blind, single-centred clinical trial. Infrared light emitting diode - LED - (830±20 nm, 71 milliwatt per square centimeter mW/cm², 127.8 J/cm²), low-frequency ultrasound (30 kilohertz (kHz), 3 W/cm²) and combination of techniques will be used, adding muscle electrostimulation in all groups (2500 Hz, 30 bps, 50%). A total of 40 female participants will be recruited at the university outpatient, which will be distributed among four experimental groups that will compose the pilot study: PBM + sham ultrasound + electromyostimulation; PBM sham + LOFU + electromyostimulation; combined treatment (PBM + LOFU) + electromyostimulation; sham combined treatment + electromyostimulation. At each session, the participants will receive 30 minutes PBM with an abdominal strap, subsequent demarcation on the target area to be treated with LOFU for 30 minutes and completion with 20 minutes of electrically induced muscle contraction. The treatments will consist of eight sessions, twice a week for a month. The main outcome of this study will be abdominal skinfold reduction and the secondary variables will be including anthropometric data, local temperature, nutritional routine and physical activity data, quality of life, self-esteem, satisfaction grade with the treatment and visual changes.

Conditions

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Subcutaneous Fat Disorder

Keywords

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LLLT Cavitation Photobiomodulation

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

The abdomen of the participants will be cleaned by using a neutral cleansing soap. Each participant will receive safety glasses for eye protection, which will also contribute to blindness of the study. PBM will be applied when using abdominal straps as developed by Cosmedical (Mauá, São Paulo, Brazil). The abdomen strap will be covered with a sheet and that will also help with the blindness of the study. After randomization, the study population will be divided into four groups (n= 10 per group), which are: (1) Group A - PBM with infrared LED application + sham ultrasound + muscle electrostimulation; (2) Group B - LED sham PBM + ultrasound + muscle electrostimulation; (3) Group C - combined treatment (PBM + ultrasound) + muscle electrostimulation; (4) Group D - sham combined treatment + muscle electrostimulation.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors
Neither the participants involved in the study, nor the outcomes assessor will be aware of the groups formed, as well as the treatments received.

Study Groups

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Photobiomodulation

PBM with infrared LED application + sham ultrasound + muscle electrostimulation

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Photobiomodulation (PBM) with infrared LED

Intervention Type DEVICE

All participants will receive 30 minutes of PBM (or PBM sham), with an abdominal strap containing 4 LED clusters with 72 devices that emit 830 nm wavelength with 20 nm spectral width, in continuous operating mode, 5 mW average radiant power per LED, 71 mW/cm² power density at aperture, 20.4 cm² of total area irradiated, 71 mW/cm² of irradiance at target, exposure duration of 1800 seconds, 127.8 J/cm² of radiant exposure, 2.6 kJ of radiant energy, per contact application technique, twice a week for a month, totaling 8 sessions.

Muscle electrostimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

The session will end with 20 minutes of Russian Current (Tensor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), whose carrier frequency occurs in 2500 Hz, which will be adjusted according to the parameters described by Evangelista et al. (2003), which are: pulse frequency of 30 Hz; up/down ramp of 2 seconds each; support/rest time of 13 seconds each. The current intensity used will be the maximum supported by each participant and that is comfortable and sufficient to provide visible contraction. The treatment will consist of eight sessions that will occur twice a week, totaling a month of treatment.

low frequency ultrasound

LED sham PBM + LOFU + muscle electrostimulation

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Low-frequency ultrasound (LOFU)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Subsequently the demarcation of the target area for LOFU treatment (Thoor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), the application of the neutral conductive gel will occur for the use of low-frequency ultrasound for 30 minutes, which will occur with 22 cm² effective radiating area (ERA) size, \<8 BNR emission intensity, 40 kHz frequency, continuous mode, 60W, 100 cm² of total treated area, twice a week for a month, totaling 8 sessions.

Muscle electrostimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

The session will end with 20 minutes of Russian Current (Tensor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), whose carrier frequency occurs in 2500 Hz, which will be adjusted according to the parameters described by Evangelista et al. (2003), which are: pulse frequency of 30 Hz; up/down ramp of 2 seconds each; support/rest time of 13 seconds each. The current intensity used will be the maximum supported by each participant and that is comfortable and sufficient to provide visible contraction. The treatment will consist of eight sessions that will occur twice a week, totaling a month of treatment.

Combined treatment (PBM + LOFU)

Combined treatment (PBM + LOFU) + muscle electrostimulation

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Photobiomodulation (PBM) with infrared LED

Intervention Type DEVICE

All participants will receive 30 minutes of PBM (or PBM sham), with an abdominal strap containing 4 LED clusters with 72 devices that emit 830 nm wavelength with 20 nm spectral width, in continuous operating mode, 5 mW average radiant power per LED, 71 mW/cm² power density at aperture, 20.4 cm² of total area irradiated, 71 mW/cm² of irradiance at target, exposure duration of 1800 seconds, 127.8 J/cm² of radiant exposure, 2.6 kJ of radiant energy, per contact application technique, twice a week for a month, totaling 8 sessions.

Low-frequency ultrasound (LOFU)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Subsequently the demarcation of the target area for LOFU treatment (Thoor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), the application of the neutral conductive gel will occur for the use of low-frequency ultrasound for 30 minutes, which will occur with 22 cm² effective radiating area (ERA) size, \<8 BNR emission intensity, 40 kHz frequency, continuous mode, 60W, 100 cm² of total treated area, twice a week for a month, totaling 8 sessions.

Muscle electrostimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

The session will end with 20 minutes of Russian Current (Tensor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), whose carrier frequency occurs in 2500 Hz, which will be adjusted according to the parameters described by Evangelista et al. (2003), which are: pulse frequency of 30 Hz; up/down ramp of 2 seconds each; support/rest time of 13 seconds each. The current intensity used will be the maximum supported by each participant and that is comfortable and sufficient to provide visible contraction. The treatment will consist of eight sessions that will occur twice a week, totaling a month of treatment.

Sham Treatment

Sham combined treatment + muscle electrostimulation

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Muscle electrostimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

The session will end with 20 minutes of Russian Current (Tensor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), whose carrier frequency occurs in 2500 Hz, which will be adjusted according to the parameters described by Evangelista et al. (2003), which are: pulse frequency of 30 Hz; up/down ramp of 2 seconds each; support/rest time of 13 seconds each. The current intensity used will be the maximum supported by each participant and that is comfortable and sufficient to provide visible contraction. The treatment will consist of eight sessions that will occur twice a week, totaling a month of treatment.

Interventions

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Photobiomodulation (PBM) with infrared LED

All participants will receive 30 minutes of PBM (or PBM sham), with an abdominal strap containing 4 LED clusters with 72 devices that emit 830 nm wavelength with 20 nm spectral width, in continuous operating mode, 5 mW average radiant power per LED, 71 mW/cm² power density at aperture, 20.4 cm² of total area irradiated, 71 mW/cm² of irradiance at target, exposure duration of 1800 seconds, 127.8 J/cm² of radiant exposure, 2.6 kJ of radiant energy, per contact application technique, twice a week for a month, totaling 8 sessions.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Low-frequency ultrasound (LOFU)

Subsequently the demarcation of the target area for LOFU treatment (Thoor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), the application of the neutral conductive gel will occur for the use of low-frequency ultrasound for 30 minutes, which will occur with 22 cm² effective radiating area (ERA) size, \<8 BNR emission intensity, 40 kHz frequency, continuous mode, 60W, 100 cm² of total treated area, twice a week for a month, totaling 8 sessions.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Muscle electrostimulation

The session will end with 20 minutes of Russian Current (Tensor DGM Electronica, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil), whose carrier frequency occurs in 2500 Hz, which will be adjusted according to the parameters described by Evangelista et al. (2003), which are: pulse frequency of 30 Hz; up/down ramp of 2 seconds each; support/rest time of 13 seconds each. The current intensity used will be the maximum supported by each participant and that is comfortable and sufficient to provide visible contraction. The treatment will consist of eight sessions that will occur twice a week, totaling a month of treatment.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

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Low-level light therapy (LLLT)

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* BMI of between 18.5 and 27.5 kg/m² (normotrophic or overweight body mass);
* Fitzpatrick phototype from I to IV;
* Who have fat located in the abdominal region characterized by abdominal skinfold higher than 20 mm;
* Who are sedentary of perform physical activity whose intensity is equal to or less than 450 METs/minutes/week (metabolic equivalents = METs);
* Who have stabilized weight, that is, who have not acquired or eliminated more than 2.5 kg in the 6 months preceding the screening;
* Absence of signs/symptoms of disease.

Exclusion Criteria

* Women who have used drugs that alter body composition in the last 3 months prior to starting treatments; who use sensitizing agents, diuretics or are undergoing photodynamic therapy;
* Participants who are undergoing aesthetic treatments to reduce abdominal/waist circumferences; those who have been previously submitted to abdominoplasty or liposuction surgeries; those who are on a diet therapy monitoring to reduce their measurements; those who are using or have taken drugs or food supplements in last 90 days, in order to reduce their measurements and their weight, which may affect their lipid metabolism, appetite or nutrients absorption; those who have been submitted previously to oophorectomy; those with signs and/or symptoms of climacteric at the menopause; pregnant or lactating women or who are planning a pregnancy before the end of treatment participation.
* Participants who have abdominal hernia; osteoporosis; phlebitis and thrombophlebitis; autoimmune diseases; cardiovascular problems (hypertension, cardiac insufficiency, arrhythmia, thrombosis); metabolic dysfunctions (diabetes and thyroid disorders); hepatitis or other liver diseases (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis); respiratory issues (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); haematological disturbances (anaemia); renal; dermatological (reduced sensitivity); digestive disorders (gastritis, ulcers); neurological (dementia or schizophrenia), or who have cognitive impairment that may compromise the proper understanding of informed consent; who have already been affected by important inflammatory processes and/or who have a history of cancer;
* Participants who present tattoos and/or piercings in the region to be treated, who use intrauterine devices, pacemakers, or other electromagnetic implants, as well as joint prostheses.
Minimum Eligible Age

25 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

45 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Nove de Julho

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Christiane Pavani

Clinical Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Michelle M Sena, MSc

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

PhD student

Locations

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Universidade Nove de Julho

São Paulo, , Brazil

Site Status

Countries

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Brazil

Other Identifiers

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MMS

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id