Transcranial high-level light therapy for migraine

• Grant number: 18/20230-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2019
• End date: January 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Nivaldo Antonio Parizotto
• Grantee: Geovana Andressa Viudes
• Host Institution: Universidade de Araraquara (UNIARA). Associação São Bento de Ensino. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The transcranial high-level light therapy (specifically from LED) has been gaining strength as a safe and non-invasive technique for induction of anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and analgesic effects. Furthermore, seems to increase synaptogenesis and neurogenesis, what could lead to the key to the cure of degenerative diseases. Since migraine afflicts 10% of the global population and its characterized by recurrent headache attacks, transcranial LED application is quested as an effective therapy approach for this Headache Disorder. The primary goal of this research is to analyze the LED effects on the patient's pain diaries regarding the frequency, duration and intensity of the migraine attacks. The LED application will be done at 1 cm behind the marks C3, CZ and C4, based on International 10/20 System, willing to reach the postcentral gyrus, and the therapy will last 1 minute in each point totalizing 3 minutes of treatment in each session. This is a pilot, double-blind, randomized and crossed-over study in which 12 volunteer patients between 18 and 65 years old, separated in A and B groups of 6 each, will participate of 2 sessions per week during 2 months (between the months of January and July), totalizing 16 sessions of phototherapy, whereas between February and August are included washout periods (when phototherapy will not be done). Besides, the volunteers will be submitted at clinical consults, at the beginning and the end of the research, and all steps will occur at Physiotherapy Clinic of UNIARA during 2018/2019.