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Re-Timer in Research

Re-Timer with its strong basis in science is the preferred choice of light therapy glasses for some of the best biomedical research happening in the world today.  Take a look at some of the work done and institutions that have used it.

Possibilities with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Research Title:  A placebo-controlled pilot study of a wearable morning bright light treatment for probable PTSD

Institutions:  University of California, Rush University Medical Center, Montclair State University, University of Michigan

Researchers:  Zalta, A., Bravo, K., Valdespino-Hayden, Z., Pollack, M. & Burgess, H. (2019)

Study:  Pilot study with 15 participants using bright light therapy as a treatment for PTSD given the established effect on mood and sleep.

Findings:  Re-Timer Glasses were well tolerated and perceived benefit was high.  A wearable morning light treatment was acceptable and feasible for patients with probable PTSD.  A larger trial is warranted to establish treatment efficacy.

Link: https://www.bbrfoundation.org/content/early-morning-bright-light-therapy-helped-patients-ptsd-symptoms

Enhancing Sports Performance

Research Title:  Effect of bright light therapy on delayed sleep/wake cycle and reaction time of athletes participating in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Institution:  Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Researchers:  Rosa, J.P., Silva, A. Rodrigues, F., et al., (2018)

Study:  The effect of using an artificial bright light on the entrainment of the sleep/wake cycle as well as the reaction times of athletes before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.  A total of 22 athletes from the Brazilian Olympic Swimming Team were evaluated, with the aim of preparing them to compete at a time when they would normally be about to go to bed for the night.

Findings:  The use of bright light therapy treatment delayed the sleep/wake cycles and improved reaction times and was shown to be effective in modulating the sleep/wake cycles of athletes performing in competitions taking place late at night.

Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07420528.2018.1459660

Intervention for cancer related sleep disturbance.

Research title:  Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Bright Light Intervention in Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer Survivors

Institutions:  Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Aarhus University (Denmark)

Researchers: Fox, R., Baik, S., McGinty, H., Garcia, S., Reid, K., & Bovbjerg, K., et.al. (2020)

Study:  Two phase pilot study to assess the feasibility and efficacy of Bright Light therapy on sleep in ovarian and endometrial cancer survivors using Re-Timer devices.

Findings: Bright Light therapy is feasible among ovarian and endometrial cancer survivors. It may be an effective, non-pharmacological approach to reduce sleep disturbance and symptom burden in this population.  Notably, Re-Timer BL therapy study participant retention and adherence was >80%.

Link: https://rdcu.be/b3CMw

Alleviating post-partum depression (Baby blues)

Research title:  An Open Label Pilot Study of a Home Wearable Light Therapy Device for Post-Partum Depression

Institutions:  University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center

Researchers:  Swanson, L.M., Burgess, H.J., Zollars, J., Arnedt, J.T. (2018)

Study:  Establish the feasibility and preliminary effects of home-wearable light therapy for postpartum depression, and its effects on circadian measures. Eight women within 6 months postpartum were prescribed 60 minutes of daily morning light therapy for 5 weeks.

Findings:  The device was well tolerated. Significant improvements were observed in self-report and clinician-rated depression symptoms, with little change in objective circadian measures. Home-wearable light therapy is feasible for postpartum women and may be a promising treatment for postpartum depression.

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6234841/

Effects on fatigue and sleep quality among lung cancer survivors.

Research Title:  Bright Light Therapy To Reduce Fatigue and Improve Sleep Quality in Lung Cancer Survivors

Institutions:  University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Researchers:  Weiss,C., Dickerson,S., Dubocovich,M.L., Dean,G.E.

Study:  Lung cancer survivors (LCS) have the worse sleep quality among cancer survivors. A randomized control trial design was used to explore the effects of morning bright light therapy on fatigue, sleep quality and CAR (Circadian Activity Rhythms) in LCS.

Findings:  Decreased fatigue levels were observed in the experimental group (those using Re-Timer glasses) and remained low during week 4 & 5; whereas, fatigue levels didn’t change significantly in the control group. Significant improvement in sleep quality was also observed in the experimental group.  This experiment showed that one week of bright light therapy was sufficient to reduce fatigue levels significantly and improve sleep quality among lung cancer survivors.

Link:  https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/41/suppl_1/A239/4988682

http://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2015/06/dean_light_study.html

Extending and phase advancing sleep in adolescents.

Title:  Successful Sleep Extension and Phase Advance in Adolescents in Response to a Pilot Sleep/Circadian Manipulation

Institutions: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh; University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Researchers:  Hasler, B., Buysse, D., Ngari, W. & Franzen, P. (2019)

Study: Pilot study to examine the effects of a two-week sleep/circadian manipulation in adolescents by using Re-Timer light goggles for 30 minutes each morning.

Findings:  Study provided preliminary evidence that a sleep/circadian manipulation can extend sleep, advance circadian timing, and reduce behavioral impulsivity in adolescents by using portable light therapy such as Re-Timer.

Link:  https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/42/Supplement_1/A329/5451615?searchresult=1

Bright light association with human choroidal thickness

Research title: Daily morning light therapy is associated with an increase in choroidal thickness in healthy young adults.

Institutions: School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology.

Researchers: Read, S. A., Pieterse, E. C., Alonso-Caneiro, D., Bormann, R., Hong, S., Lo, C. H., Richer, R., Syed, A., & Tran, L. (2018).

Study: This study aimed to examine the influence of morning bright light therapy upon choroidal thickness in healthy young adults. Studies have demonstrated that choroidal thinning accompanies the development and progression of myopia (Read, S., Fuss, J., Vincent, S., Collins, M., & Alonso‐Caneiro, D. (2018). Choroidal changes in human myopia: insights from optical coherence tomography imaging. Clinical And Experimental Optometry, 102(3), 270-285. doi: 10.1111/cxo.12862)

Findings: This study provides the first evidence in the human eye, that increasing daily light exposure through 30-minute light therapy sessions in the morning for a 7-day period, results in a small magnitude but statistically significant increase in choroidal thickness.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26635-7

Decreasing jet lag effects for better athletic performance

Title:  Reducing the impact of time zone changes on disturbed sleep and game performance

Institutions:  University of Tasmania, Victorian Institute of Sport and Victoria University.

Researchers:  Whelan, G., Kitic, C., Karageorgiou, J., Bahnisch, J., Pitchford, N., & Fell, J. (2016)

Study:  This study aimed to re-adjust the body clock prior to a westward time zone change to maintain physical and cognitive performance of athletes (hockey players).

Findings:  The use of a pre-flight adjustment schedule with bright light therapy can assist in maintaining jump performance and skill execution upon arrival in the new time zone; whereas, solely adjusting the sleep schedule was not as effective in minimising fatigue from jet lag in the first two days of arrival. Data suggest the bright light group was ready to perform following arrival on D1 (day 1); however, the control group were only prepared on D3 (day 3).

Link: https://www.strengthandconditioning.org/jasc-24-6/614-research-abstract-reducing-the-impact-of-time-zone-changes-on-disturbed-sleep-and-game-performance

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