Abstract
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is caused by damage to neurons in the spinal cord, which interrupts neural signal conduction via axonal tracts, causing either total or partial paralysis. Researchers have proven that photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) can affect nerve repair, causing enhanced functionality. Many PBMT studies have examined contusion SCIs in rats by employing a fixed fluence applied to the skin over the course of the treatment without considering the animal weight, which could affect the fluence delivered to the SCI site. This study performed Monte Carlo simulations using four computer-simulated rat models, all 11 weeks of age but each one having a different weight, and used various irradiation parameters to assess the impact of these factors on the fluence delivery at the SCI site. When the weight of the rat decreased, the fluence delivered to the SCI site increased. The findings also demonstrated that the greatest percentage rise in the fluence delivered to the SCI site occurred when employing a 660 nm Gaussian beam. The rat weight and irradiation parameters had a significant effect on the fluence delivered to the SCI site in rats. Thus, when assessing the effectiveness of PBMT, researchers must consider how much fluence reaches the injury site rather than how much fluence is applied to the skin.
Highlights
Millions of people are affected by spinal cord injuries (SCIs) each year, sometimes in life-changing ways
Various irradiation parameters were employed to assess the impact of these factors on the fluence delivery at the spinal cord injury (SCI) site
The results showed that 810 nm was a more ideal wavelength than others for SCI photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) treatment due to the low absorption coefficient of SCI rat tissue at 810 nm, which results in deeper light penetration
Summary
Millions of people are affected by spinal cord injuries (SCIs) each year, sometimes in life-changing ways. Several studies have demonstrated that photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) may encourage wound healing, reduce inflammation, lessen pain levels, and promote peripheral nerve generation [3]. Many studies have shown that PBMT has the capacity to repair nerves and enhance spinal cord functionality in animal models (see Table 1) [4]–[11]. These researchers assess the effectiveness of PBMT using the fluence (“dose”) on the skin surface as the chief dose assessment index without considering the irradiation parameters or the physiological parameters of the animal’s weight. Piao et al [12] recently demonstrated that the fluence rate, which reaches the targeted
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