The experimental evidence for photobiomodulation-induced cellular and behavioral changes in animal models of Parkinson’s disease: a template for translation to patients

Abstract

Abstract The distinct motor signs of Parkinson’s disease develop after a progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurones and their terminations in the striatum. The current treatments target the signs of the disease, but they generally fail to address the progression of the neuronal loss. As it stands, there is no disease-modifying or neuroprotective treatment option for patients. Photobiomodulation ( λ =600–1070\xa0nm) is emerging as an effective neuroprotective agent in a wide range of animal models of the disease, including toxin-induced and transgenic fly, rodent, and monkey models. Here, we explore the beneficial effects of photobiomodulation in these experimental animal models, from neuroprotection to functional and behavioral improvements, and from reductions in gliosis to the expression of trophic growth factors. We consider some of the issues associated with this experimental evidence in relation to a translation to patients.