31P MRS Indicates Possible Effects of Transcranial Laser Therapy in an Animal Model

Dionyssios Mintzopoulos¹, Clark E. Tedford², Timothy E. Gillis¹, Marc J. Kaufman¹

Transcranial Laser Therapy (TLT) is a phototherapy exhibiting beneficial brain effects in stroke clinical trials and in preclinical studies of major depression, Alzheimers Disease, and traumatic brain injury. TLT stimulates mitochondrial metabolism by increasing cytochrome C oxidase (CCO) activity. We used phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess bioenergetic effects of acute and subchronic TLT in adult beagle dogs. Subchronic but not acute TLT increased anterior cingulate phosphocreatine/beta-nucleoside triphosphate ratios, which may reflect increased energy efficiency, possibly mediated by slowly evolving phenomena such as CCO protein transcription. Our findings warrant additional studies to further characterize TLTs effects on brain metabolism.