| Major depressive disorder is a common debilitating
mood disorder that affects quality of life. Prefrontal
cortex abnormalities, an imbalance in neurotransmitters,
neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are
the major factors in the etiology of major depressive disorder.
Despite the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in the treatment
of major depressive disorder, 30%–40% of patients
do not respond to antidepressants. Given this, exploring
the alternative therapies for treatment or prevention of
major depressive disorder has aroused interest among scientists.
Transcranial photobiomodulation therapy is the
use of low-power lasers and light-emitting diodes in the
far-red to near-infrared optical region for stimulation of
neuronal activities. This non-invasive modality improves
the metabolic capacity of neurons due to more oxygen
consumption and ATP production. Beneficial effects of
transcranial photobiomodulation therapy in the wide
range of neurological and psychological disorders have
been already shown. In this review, we focus on some
issues relating to the application of photobiomodulation
therapy for major depressive disorder. There is some
evidence that transcranial photobiomodulation therapy
using near-infrared light on 10-Hz pulsed mode appears
to be a hopeful technique for treatment of major depressive
disorder. However, further studies are necessary to
find the safety of this method and to determine its effective
treatment protocol. |