tPBM in Older Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury

NCT ID: NCT06956404

Last Updated: 2026-01-15

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

70 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-29

Study Completion Date

2028-07-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) in older patients with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study aims to examine the effect of tPBM on prefrontal cerebral blood flow (CBF) and executive function (EF)

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Caregivers

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Active tPBM

Subjects complete 18 t-PBM treatments, \~12 min per day, 3 days per week, for 6 weeks. tPBM will be administered via continuous, 808 nm wavelength laser delivery to the forehead at the standard scalp location.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial photobiomodulator (tPBM)

Intervention Type DEVICE

The tPBM-2.0 device consists of a therapeutic laser console (that produces laser energy as NIR), and an optical delivery system consisting of a flexible, double-sheathed optical fiber connected to a custom helmet (cap). tPBM will be administered via continuous, 808 nm wavelength laser delivery to the forehead at the standard scalp location \~12 minutes per day, 3 days per week, for 6 weeks (18 total sessions).

Sham tPBM

Subjects complete 18 sham treatments, \~12 min per day, 3 days per week, for 6 weeks. The sham treatment will be administered to the forehead at the standard scalp location.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Transcranial photobiomodulator (tPBM) in sham mode

Intervention Type DEVICE

The tPBM-2.0 device consists of a therapeutic laser console (which will be in sham mode, which does not produce laser energy), and an optical delivery system consisting of a flexible, double-sheathed optical fiber connected to a custom helmet (cap).

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Transcranial photobiomodulator (tPBM)

The tPBM-2.0 device consists of a therapeutic laser console (that produces laser energy as NIR), and an optical delivery system consisting of a flexible, double-sheathed optical fiber connected to a custom helmet (cap). tPBM will be administered via continuous, 808 nm wavelength laser delivery to the forehead at the standard scalp location \~12 minutes per day, 3 days per week, for 6 weeks (18 total sessions).

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcranial photobiomodulator (tPBM) in sham mode

The tPBM-2.0 device consists of a therapeutic laser console (which will be in sham mode, which does not produce laser energy), and an optical delivery system consisting of a flexible, double-sheathed optical fiber connected to a custom helmet (cap).

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Transcranial PhotoBioModulation-1000 (tPBM-2.0) Transcranial PhotoBioModulation-1000 (tPBM-2.0)

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Able to give written informed consent and follow study procedures.
2. Age ≥ 55 years and ≤ 85 years.
3. History of non-penetrating TBI of at least moderate severity,

1. defined by Emergency Department Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) \< 13,
2. or post-traumatic amnesia \> 24 hours,
3. or loss of consciousness \> 30 minutes,
4. or evidence of trauma-related abnormality on acute neuroimaging.
4. Between 1 and 2 years post injury.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Delayed loss of consciousness due to expanding lesions
2. Diagnosis of dementia, history of brain tumor, or other serious neurological disorder
3. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 diagnosis of alcohol or drug use disorder or history of other major psychiatric illness diagnosed with Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
4. History of significant cardiovascular or cerebrovascular pathology before sustaining TBI
5. Unstable medical conditions or medications impacting cognition (e.g., topiramate)
6. Significant skin conditions on the subject's scalp in the area of illumination
7. Large bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) lesions (i.e., more than 50% of our middle frontal gyrus region of interest (ROI) in both hemispheres)
8. Claustrophobia or metallic foreign bodies that would preclude MRI
9. Unwilling/unable to comply with study as judged by the Principal Investigator
10. Body mass index \> 40 kg/m2 to fit comfortably in MRI
11. Past intolerance or hypersensitivity to tPBM
12. Any use of light-activated drugs (photodynamic therapy) within 14 days prior to study enrollment
Minimum Eligible Age

55 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

85 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

United States Department of Defense

FED

Sponsor Role collaborator

NYU Langone Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Tamara Bushnik, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

NYU Langone Health

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

NYU Langone Health

New York, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Tamara Bushnik, PhD

Role: CONTACT

646-565-0468

Michelle Smith

Role: CONTACT

646-501-9162

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

CDMRP-TP230318

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

24-00956

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.