A pilot study examining transcranial photobiomodulation therapy intervention in college students with insomnia

2026-06-23

AI Summary

Insomnia affects up to 30% of college students, significantly impairing their physical and mental health as well as cognitive functioning. Grounded in the hyperarousal model of insomnia, this study represents the first application of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) targeting the prefrontal cortex as an intervention for primary insomnia in university students. Combining neuroimaging techniques, the research systematically evaluated the effects of tPBM on brain function, cognitive performance, and emotion regulation. Findings provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that tPBM alleviates insomnia by enhancing top-down regulatory capacity mediated by the prefrontal cortex. This work not only extends the applicability of non-invasive neuromodulation to sleep disorders but also offers a promising novel therapeutic strategy for addressing insomnia in the student population.

Abstract

College students commonly report insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality, with ~30% meeting insomnia criteria, posing significant threats to their physical growth, cognitive development, and overall well-being, as well as imposing a substantial economic burden on society [1]. The hyperarousal model of insomnia [2] emphasizes that hyperarousal across cognitive, emotional, and physiological domains mutually reinforces one another. Neuroimaging studies have further identified prefrontal hypoactivity as a key neural substrate underlying these dysfunctional cognitions and elevated arousal, reflecting a failure of top-down modulatory control over both limbic reactivity [3] and brainstem arousal nuclei [4]. Moreover, transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) therapy targeting the prefrontal cortex has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy across neuropsychiatric disorders with insomnia comorbidities [5,6], providing preliminary support for its application in insomnia. However, the neuro mechanisms underlying tPBM's therapeutic effects on insomnia remain to be elucidated.

Problem

• insomnia
• college students
• transcranial photobiomodulation
• prefrontal cortex
• hyperarousal

Innovation

• transcranial photobiomodulation
• prefrontal hypoactivity
• hyperarousal model
• insomnia intervention
• top-down modulation