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Transcranial photobiomodulation therapy associated with cardiorespiratory rehabilitation in spastic subjects

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cardiorespiratory rehabilitation (CR) and transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) on exercise tolerance (ET), heart rate variability (HRV), and peripheral muscle activity in individuals with spasticity. Fifteen participants with spasticity were randomly assigned to two groups: the tPBM group (tPBMG) consisted of eight volunteers who underwent tPBM (on mode) and CR, while the control group (CG) consisted of seven volunteers who underwent simulated tPBM (off mode) and CR. The CR program included 12 weeks of treatment, twice a week for one hour, involving aerobic exercises and lower limb strengthening. For tPBM, a cluster with three lasers (λ = 680 nm, 808 nm), with a power of 100 mW/laser and energy of 36 J, applied to the F7, F8, and Fpz points. The following parameters were evaluated after 8 and 12 weeks: ET, HRV, and surface electromyography (EMG) of the rectus femoris muscle during orthostasis (ORT), isometric squatting (ISOM), and isotonic squatting (ISOT). Both groups showed a 40% increase in ET for the CG and a 30% increase for the tPBMG. The CG had more pronounced parasympathetic modulation alterations during post-exercise effort and recovery compared to the tPBMG. The EMG results showed that the tPBMG exhibited progressive improvement in muscle activity during ISOM and ISOT, as well as a decrease in the interlimb difference. In conclusion, both CR and tPBMG demonstrated improvements in ET. However, tPBMG specifically showed promising effects on HRV modulation and peripheral muscle electrical activity, providing additional benefits compared to CR alone.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. We are especially grateful for the doctoral scholarship granted to the author Ana Paula Pinto.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Research and Development Institute, Paraiba Valley University - UNIVAP, Av. Shishima Hifumi, São José Dos Campos, São Paulo, 2911, Brazil

    Ana Paula Pinto, Sérgio Luiz Lemos, Alessandra de Almeida Fagundes, Marcele Florêncio das Neves, Fernanda Pupio Silva Lima & Mário Oliveira Lima

  2. Post-Graduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation, Research Group in Biophotonics and Experimental Therapeutics in Health and Esthetics, Universidade Evangélica de Goiás - UniEVANGÉLICA, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil

    Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão Lopes-Martins

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Correspondence to Ana Paula Pinto.

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This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Paraiba Valley University, Brazil (CAAE: 94858718,3,0000,5503), approval judgment 2,879,764. Afterwards, it was registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov platform, ID—NCT03751306.

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Pinto, A.P., Lemos, S.L., de Almeida Fagundes, A. et al. Transcranial photobiomodulation therapy associated with cardiorespiratory rehabilitation in spastic subjects. Lasers Med Sci 38, 249 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-023-03922-y

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