An interventional study of Photobiomodulation and Sham photobiomodulation in Ataxia, sponsored by University of Central Lancashire. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-22.
Sponsored by University of Central Lancashire · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Cerebellar ataxias cause progressive impairments in balance, gait coordination, motor timing, and cognitive functions such as attention and executive control (Buckner, 2013; Salmi et al., 2010; Timmann \& Daum, 2007). These symptoms substantially reduce independence and quality of life, and current treatments remain limited. There is an urgent need for safe, low-burden interventions that can support everyday functioning and potentially enhance compensatory neural processes.
Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) uses red and near-infrared light (600-1100 nm) to modulate mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase, increasing ATP production, reducing oxidative stress, and improving cerebral blood flow (Hamblin, 2016; Salehpour et al., 2019). Several studies show that tPBM can acutely improve cognitive performance and motor control in both healthy adults and clinical groups (Barrett \& Gonzalez-Lima, 2013; Chan et al., 2019; Henderson \& Morries, 2017). A growing neurobiological literature suggests that light can penetrate posterior cortical areas sufficiently to modulate networks involving cerebellar-cortical loops (Jagdeo et al., 2012).
Importantly for ataxia, preliminary work shows that tPBM may acutely improve balance stability and gait metrics in older adults and patients with neurological conditions (Moro et al., 2022; Shin et al., 2021). In our own laboratory, we have observed immediate improvements in sway range and cognitive control in older adults after a 24-minute tPBM session applied over midline and posterior scalp regions. These medium to large size effects are consistent with enhanced sensorimotor integration and improved control of attention in distracting environments.
Given that individuals with cerebellar ataxia experience both motor incoordination and difficulties in maintaining cognitive stability under distracting conditions, tPBM is a promising non-pharmacological intervention worth preliminary investigation.
149 studies on the registry are indexed under Ataxia; 37 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 20 is below the median of 30 across 100 interventional studies indexed under Ataxia.
Browse Ataxia studies →University of Central Lancashire is the lead sponsor of 31 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Sham photobiomodulation. The sham device will follow the same protocol but without active light emission.
Other: Sham photobiomodulation
Acute photobiomodulation Twenty-four-minute photobiomodulation stimulation (twelve minutes at 670 nm followed by twelve minutes at 810 nm).
Device: Photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation
The sham device will follow the same protocol but without active light emission.
n-1-back (deviation)
The n-1-back (deviation) task is a working memory test where participants respond when the current stimulus differs from the one presented n-1 trials earlier.
Time frame: Baseline
n-1-back (deviation)
The n-1-back (deviation) task is a working memory test where participants respond when the current stimulus differs from the one presented n-1 trials earlier.
Time frame: 1 hour
n-2-back (deviation)
The n-2-back (deviation) task is a working memory test where participants respond when the current stimulus differs from the one presented n-2 trials earlier.
Time frame: Baseline
n-2-back (deviation)
The n-2-back (deviation) task is a working memory test where participants respond when the current stimulus differs from the one presented n-2 trials earlier.
Time frame: 1 hour
n-1-back (post-deviation)
The n-1-back (post-deviation) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a deviation from the stimulus presented n-1 trials earlier.
Time frame: Baseline
n-1-back (post-deviation)
The n-1-back (post-deviation) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a deviation from the stimulus presented n-1 trials earlier.
Time frame: 1 hour
n-2-back (post-deviation)
The n-2-back (post-deviation) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a deviation from the stimulus presented n-2 trials earlier.
Time frame: Baseline
n-2-back (post-deviation)
The n-2-back (post-deviation) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a deviation from the stimulus presented n-2 trials earlier.
Time frame: 1 hour
n-1-back (post-target)
The n-1-back (post-target) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a target that matched the stimulus presented n-1 trials earlier.
Time frame: Baseline
n-1-back (post-target)
The n-1-back (post-target) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a target that matched the stimulus presented n-1 trials earlier.
Time frame: 1 hour
n-2-back (post-target)
The n-2-back (post-target) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a target that matched the stimulus presented n-2 trials earlier.
Time frame: Baseline
n-2-back (post-target)
The n-2-back (post-target) task assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a target that matched the stimulus presented n-2 trials earlier.
Time frame: 1 hour
n-1-back (load)
The n-1-back (load) condition measures working memory performance under the cognitive demand of tracking stimuli 1 trial back.
Time frame: Baseline
n-1-back (load)
The n-1-back (load) condition measures working memory performance under the cognitive demand of tracking stimuli 1 trial back.
Time frame: 1 hour
n-2-back (post-load)
The n-2-back (post-load) condition assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a high cognitive load in the n-2-back task.
Time frame: Baseline
n-2-back (post-load)
The n-2-back (post-load) condition assesses working memory performance on the trial immediately following a high cognitive load in the n-2-back task.
Time frame: 1 hour
Coop-Wonka chart
The Coop-Wonka chart is a six item questionnaire with a 1-5 scoring system for each thus the chart has a maximum score of 30 which indicates the lowest possible psychological Wellbeing.
Time frame: Baseline
Coop-Wonka chart
The Coop-Wonka chart is a six item questionnaire with a 1-5 scoring system for each thus the chart has a maximum score of 30 which indicates the lowest possible psychological Wellbeing.
Time frame: 1 hour
Beck Depression Inventory
Psychological wellbeing - the Beck Depression Inventory is a 21 questionnaire with questions that range in scoring from 0-3, thus the maximum score is 63 which is the highest depression score possible.
Time frame: Baseline
Beck Depression Inventory
Psychological wellbeing - the Beck Depression Inventory is a 21 questionnaire with questions that range in scoring from 0-3, thus the maximum score is 63 which is the highest depression score possible.
Time frame: 1 hour
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index, is a questionnaire that consists of 19 self-rated questions, grouped into 7 components. Each component is scored separately, weighted equally on a 0 - 3 scale and the scores of the 7 components are then added to give a global score, which has a range of 0 - 21 with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality.
Time frame: Baseline
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index, is a questionnaire that consists of 19 self-rated questions, grouped into 7 components. Each component is scored separately, weighted equally on a 0 - 3 scale and the scores of the 7 components are then added to give a global score, which has a range of 0 - 21 with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality.
Time frame: 1 hour
State Trait Anxiety Inventory
The state trait anxiety inventory is a 40 item questionnaire with each question having a 1-4 score system, thus the maximum score is 80 which indicates the highest level of anxiety.
Time frame: Baseline
State Trait Anxiety Inventory
The state trait anxiety inventory is a 40 item questionnaire with each question having a 1-4 score system, thus the maximum score is 80 which indicates the highest level of anxiety.
Time frame: 1 hour
Insomnia Severity Index
The Insomnia Severity Index is a brief instrument designed to assess the severity of both nighttime and daytime components of insomnia. The Insomnia Severity Index is a 7-item self-report questionnaire yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 28.
Time frame: Baseline
Insomnia Severity Index
The Insomnia Severity Index is a brief instrument designed to assess the severity of both nighttime and daytime components of insomnia. The Insomnia Severity Index is a 7-item self-report questionnaire yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 28.
Time frame: 1 hour
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a self-administered questionnaire with 8 questions. Respondents are asked to rate, on a 4-point scale (0-3) with a maximum score of 24.
Time frame: Baseline
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a self-administered questionnaire with 8 questions. Respondents are asked to rate, on a 4-point scale (0-3) with a maximum score of 24.
Time frame: 1 hour
Everyday Memory Errors Questionnaire
The Everyday Memory Errors Questionnaire is a brief self-report instrument designed to assess the frequency of memory lapses in daily life. It consists of multiple items that yield a total score reflecting the extent of everyday memory difficulties.
Time frame: Baseline
Everyday Memory Errors Questionnaire
The Everyday Memory Errors Questionnaire is a brief self-report instrument designed to assess the frequency of memory lapses in daily life. It consists of multiple items that yield a total score reflecting the extent of everyday memory difficulties.
Time frame: 1 hour
Falls Efficacy
The Falls Efficacy Scale is a brief self-report instrument designed to assess confidence in performing daily activities without falling. It consists of multiple items that yield a total score reflecting fear of falling and perceived fall-related self-efficacy.
Time frame: Baseline
Falls Efficacy
The Falls Efficacy Scale is a brief self-report instrument designed to assess confidence in performing daily activities without falling. It consists of multiple items that yield a total score reflecting fear of falling and perceived fall-related self-efficacy.
Time frame: 1 hour
Anterior-posterior balance
The maximum anterior-posterior displacement of the centre of pressure during a two-minute balance task.
Time frame: Baseline
Anterior-posterior balance
The maximum anterior-posterior displacement of the centre of pressure during a two-minute balance task.
Time frame: 1 hour
Medio-lateral balance
The maximum medio-lateral displacement of the centre of pressure during a two-minute balance task.
Time frame: Baseline
Medio-lateral balance
The maximum medio-lateral displacement of the centre of pressure during a two-minute balance task.
Time frame: 1 hour
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Jan 2027; primary completion for Jun 2027, 5 months later.
Of 53 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Ataxia, half reached primary completion within 19 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 34. This study's planned 5 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 55 studies reached it within 19 months; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 33.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Central Lancashire