Researchers at Edith Cowan University are investigating the effects of light therapy on fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness in people living with neurological conditions.
The MSWA supported research project will trial specially made glasses, worn for sixty minutes in the morning, which deliver targeted light therapy through the eyes – evaluating their value in improving sleep, reducing fatigue and increasing alertness throughout the day.
Dr Danielle Bartlett, one of the researchers working on the project, said the light glasses had the potential to become a simple and effective form of therapy for many Western Australians living with a neurological condition.
“Our bodies are naturally in tune to the sun, but sometimes our busy schedules make sunlight hard to get. The light therapy glasses act as targeted sunlight by stimulating receptors in the eyes that suppress melatonin, essentially training the body to be awake,” Dr Bartlett said.
“Light therapy has been shown to be effective in people living with Parkinson’s disease and in individuals following traumatic brain injury. We’re hoping to extend these findings into people living with other neurological conditions.”
Dr Bartlett explained people living with neurological conditions commonly experience fatigue and sleep problems presumably as a result of the high energy requirement for minimal movement, disturbed sleep cycles and medications.
“We have had a significant number of people living with a neurological condition report they have had sleep problems and associated fatigue. 88% of people with Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, 70% of people with stroke and motor neurone disease, and 62% of people living with multiple sclerosis,” said Dr Bartlett.
While preliminary research shows the positive effects of light therapy for neurological conditions, very few studies have investigated its effectiveness using apparel.
Given the initial success of the study, the team are optimistic the non-invasive therapeutic approach will greatly benefit individuals living with neurological conditions, and likely the broader community suffering from fatigue and sleep disorders.
The trial is being conducted in collaboration with world experts in sleep and neuroscience from the University of Cambridge, University of Western Australia and Monash University.
The ENLighTIND trials for MS and stroke are both running, and are currently recruiting.
Are you living with multiple sclerosis? OR are you at least three months past having a stroke?
Are you between 18 and 85 years of age?
Are you experiencing fatigue and sleep problems?
In partnership with MSWA, researchers at Edith Cowan University are recruiting participants for a study to investigate the impact of light therapy on fatigue. If you answered ‘yes’ to each of the questions above, you might be eligible for the study.
For further information please email spin@ecu.edu.au or phone 08 6304 2210.