Table 1.
Bright light therapy studies, lighting characteristics given by researchers and effects seen.
| Author | Protocol | Participants | Light Level (lux) | Exposure Duration | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satlin et al. 199237 | open clinical trial-evening bright light | 10 hospital patients | 1500–2000 | 2 hours 19:00–21:00 | sleep wake patterns (ID variability) improved, nighttime activity decreased, improved ratings of sleep-wakefulness |
| Colenda et al. 199747 | single subject, 28 days total | 5 community dwelling | 2000 | 2 hours 07:00–09:30 | no significant changes from baseline in acrophase, mesor or amplitude in 4 of 5 subjects |
| Van Someren et al. 199736 | open trial | 22 inpatients | varied mean = 1130 | all day | increased interdaily stability |
| Okumoto et al. 199850 | open trial | 1 nursing home resident | 4000 | 2 hours 09:30–11:30 | consolidated sleep episodes at night |
| Koyama et al. 199949 | open trial | 6 nursing home residents | 4000 | late morning | percent sleep increased and percent wakefulness in daytime increased in 3 of the 6 subjects; in the other 3, sleep onset was advanced |
| Lyketosos et al. 199938 | randomized controlled crossover trial | 15 inpatients in a chronic care facility | 10,000 | 1 hour morning | significant improvement in nocturnal sleep amount after 4 weeks |
| Yamadera et al. 200040 | 1-week adaptation, 1-week pre-treatment, 4-week treatment | 27 hospital patients | 3000 | 09:00–11:00 | significant improvement in circadian rhythms disturbances and in cognition |
| Ancoli-Israel et al. 200251 | randomized controlled trial; evening bright light, morning bright light, evening dim red light or daytime sleep restriction | 77 nursing home residents | 2500 | 17:30–19:30 or 09:30–11:30 | no improvements in nighttime sleep or daytime alertness in any group; morning bright light delayed the peak of the activity, increased mean activity and improved activity rhythmicity |
| Fetveit et al. 200334 | open non-randomized | 11 nursing home residents | 6000–8000 | 2 hours within 08:00–11:00 | sleep efficiency increased, total wake time reduced, sleep onset latency reduced |
| Ancoli-Israel et al. 200339 | randomized controlled trial; morning bright light, morning dim red light or evening bright light | 92 nursing home residents | 2500 | 2 hours 09:30–11:30 or 2 hours 17:30–19:30 | more consolidated sleep at night and improve rhythm stability |
| Fontana Gasio et al. 200346 | randomized controlled trial | 13 nursing home residents | mean = 200 | all day dawn-to-dusk simulator | earlier onset sleep time and longer sleep duration |
| Figueiro et al. 200345 | placebo controlled crossover design; 2 weeks of 640-nm (red) light and 2 weeks of 470-nm (blue) light | 4 nursing home residents | 30 | 2 hours 18:00–20:00 | 470-nm light delayed decline in tympanic temperature and increased observations of nighttime sleep efficiency |
| Fetveit and Bjortvan 200548 | pre-treatment, treatment and post treatment | 11 nursing home residents | 6000–8000 | 2 hours within 08:00–11:00 | average and total daytime nap duration were reduced |
| Dowling et al. 200541 | randomized bright light to usual light and randomized morning bright light to afternoon bright light | 46 nursing home residents | >2500 mean = 7500 | 1 hour between 09:30–10:30 | no significant changes in sleep efficiency, sleep time, wake time, or number of awakenings between experimental group and control group; improved rhythm stability in those with most impaired rest- activity rhythms |
| Alessi et al. 200535 | randomized controlled trial | 118 nursing home residents | sunlight >10,000 | at least 30 minutes | significant decrease daytime sleep and decrease in duration of nighttime awakenings; increased participation in social activities |
| Figueiro and Rea 200544 | placebo controlled crossover design; 10 days of 640-nm (red) light and 10 days of 470-nm (blue) light crossover | 4 nursing home residents | 30 | 2 hours 17:00–19:00 | increased observations of nighttime sleep efficiency after 470-nm light exposure compared to 640-nm light |
| Sloane et al. 200742 | intervention trial; morning bright light, evening bright light and all day bright light | 66 inpatient and residential care | 2500 | 2 hours 07:00–11:00 or 2 hours 16:00–20:00 or 07:00–20:00 | nighttime sleep increased in the morning and all day light groups, morning light phase advance and evening light phase delay |
| Riemersma-van der Lek et al. 200843 | long term (3.5 yrs) randomized double blind placebo- controlled whole-day bright or dim light and evening melatonin or placebo | 189 care facility residents | Bright: 1000 Dim: 300 | 09:00–18:00 | bright light alone attenuated cognitive deterioration by a relative 5%, ameliorated depressive symptoms by a relative 19%, and attenuated the increase in functional limitations over time by relative 53% |