Alex Fergus - Light Therapy Insiders

THIS Device Counters MCI/Alzheimer - Here’s The Data

Alex Fergus Season 3 Episode 5

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Photobiomodulation for the brain is getting serious scientific attention, especially for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer’s risk.

In this episode of Light Therapy Insiders, Bart Wolbers speaks with Dr. Neda Rashini, a physician-scientist focused on neurodegenerative research, about transcranial photobiomodulation, pilot trial results, mitochondrial biomarkers, inflammation, brain connectivity, and why this field may become an important part of future brain-health treatment plans.

Show Notes

In this episode, Dr. Neda Rashini explains how she went from being skeptical of photobiomodulation to leading clinical research on its use in people with mild cognitive impairment. The conversation covers why MCI matters, how placebo-controlled PBM trials are designed, what biomarkers were measured, and which outcomes looked promising in her pilot trial. They also discuss side effects, responder variability, and why bigger studies are still needed before stronger conclusions can be made.

Key Topics

Why Dr. Neda Rashini became interested in transcranial photobiomodulation
Although photobiomodulation has been around for decades, it has only recently gained traction in neuroscience research. Dr. Neda Rashini shares how her initial skepticism led her to investigate whether the biological claims behind PBM could actually be measured in clinical research.

Why mild cognitive impairment matters
MCI is often one of the earliest diagnosable stages before Alzheimer’s dementia develops. Dr. Neda Rashini explains why this stage may be a better window for intervention than later-stage disease, when neuronal loss may already be too advanced.

How the pilot trial was designed
The study compared an active transcranial photobiomodulation device against a sham device in people with MCI. Participants used what appeared to be the same headset, but only the active group received the full PBM treatment.

The biomarkers researchers measured
The trial looked beyond cognition alone. Dr. Neda Rashini’s team assessed mitochondrial biomarkers, inflammatory markers, functional brain connectivity, brain metabolites, and cognitive outcomes to better understand possible mechanisms.

What improved in the pilot study
The active group showed improved general cognition and recognition memory compared with the sham group. Researchers also observed changes in the lactate-to-pyruvate ratio, a reduction in IL-6 levels, and increased functional connectivity within the default mode network.

What did not significantly change
Not every marker moved. Some inflammation markers and neurodegeneration markers did not show significant differences, which Dr. Na says i

Thanks for listening!

Disclaimer: Information shared is not medical advice.

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