SLPRCTCoDAS2026

Immediate effects of photobiomodulation on maximum pressure and endurance of the tongue in adults: a randomized clinical trial.

Lara Kristine Silva Gomes Campos Soares, Lorena Freitas Coelho, Renata Maria Moreira Moraes Furlan and 1 others

PMID 41615132

WHAT IT FOUND

Photobiomodulation did not change tongue pressure or endurance in healthy adults.

The laser showed no immediate benefit over placebo in this trial.

Key findings

01There were no statistically significant differences in tongue pressure or endurance before and after photobiomodulation in any group.

02The study included 60 adults without functional or structural tongue alterations, divided into four groups.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs

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What it does not show

The sample consisted only of individuals without functional or structural tongue alterations, so results may not apply to patients with tongue weakness or pathology. The 10-minute interval between irradiation and reassessment may have been too short to detect delayed physiological effects. No sample size calculation was performed; the number of participants was based on previous studies. The study did not combine PBM with orofacial myofunctional therapy, so it does not address whether PBM might enhance the effects of active treatment.

Declared interests

The authors declared no financial support and no conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not assume photobiomodulation is ineffective for patients with tongue weakness. This trial only tested healthy adults without functional alterations, and the authors suggest the lack of effect may be due to the healthy baseline or the short follow-up interval.

Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →