Daily light therapy would be beneficial against depression and concussions such as sleep disorders, memory or concentration.
Popularized in France in 1920, the therapeutic use of natural light is widely used today in the treatment of depression, circadian rhythm disorders or insomnia. Called light therapy, this practice consists of exposing the eyes to light whose intensity is close to that of the Sun, without however ultraviolet rays, which are harmful to the skin and the cornea.
A study published in the journal American Academy Neurology and which will be presented at the 72and annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (ANN) in Toronto (Canada) at the end of April, demonstrates that light therapy based on the use of blue light — not to be confused with the blue light emitted by screens and harmful to health — would be effective against depression and concussions.
“Patients with mild traumatic brain injury, such as concussion, often develop persistent problems associated with sleep, concentration, and depressionexplains the main author of the study, William D. Killgore, of the University of Arizona (United States). Morning blue light exposure has been shown to improve the circadian rhythm of the body’s sleep-wake cycle, which is linked to improved sleep, better mood, and daytime alertness..”
A 22% improvement
Thirty-five people with an average age of 26 and diagnosed with a concussion within the last 18 months were recruited. All of them used a light therapy lamp for 30 minutes every morning for six weeks. However, to really measure the consequences of this therapeutic practice, only 17 of them received real blue light.
The other 18 volunteers unknowingly exposed themselves to amber light, ie a placebo. Symptoms of depression and other concussions (sleep, memory, concentration disorders, etc.) were analyzed in each of the participants at the start and end of the study.
Result: the symptoms of depression were lower in people exposed to blue light than the group who received a placebo. The scores, obtained thanks to theThe Beck Depression Inventory (a 21-item multiple-choice questionnaire used to measure the severity of depression) showed a 22% improvement in the first group, compared to a 4% worsening of mood in the placebo. It was also observed in participants who were exposed to blue light an improvement in sleep, concentration and a decrease in agitation and irritability.
“These results support that blue light therapy can be an effective non-drug treatment for concussions, that improving depression can lead to improved concussion symptoms, and therefore improve quality of life.”concluded William D. Killgore.
The impact of depression on quality of life
According to Inserm, “Ihe major depressive disorder affects all ages of life. It concerns about 15 to 20% of the general population, over the whole life”. One in five people have suffered or will suffer from depression in their lifetime. A person who is chronically depressed or going through a depressive episode can also suffer from sleep disorders, intense fatigue, attention, concentration, memory or mood disorders.
These concussions have considerable repercussions on the quality of life of patients (decreased motivation, productivity, school failure, isolation, relational problems, etc.).
.
