Background. Blue light glasses have been introduced as a possible new treatment option to treat sleep disturbances in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Assessing patient attitudes represents a key step in the road towards formal testing and introduction into clinical practice. Specifically, we aimed to assess how patients experience the use of blue light glasses, aiming to optimise compliance in upcoming clinical trials where these glasses will be tested for efficacy. Methods. We invited 58 PD patients who had used the blue light glasses for at least one week on a daily basis to complete an online survey about their experiences and self-reported impact. For this purpose, the System Usability Scale was used, supplemented with additional questions about (side)effects. A total of 31 patients (53%) replied. Results. 74% of respondents reported subjective improvements in night-time sleep, daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, motor functioning, or a combination thereof. The median score for the System Usability Scale (SUS; 0–100 range, higher scores indicating better performance) was 70.0. A total of 26 patients (84%) had an overall positive attitude towards the technique, with patients rating the glasses with an average score of 6.9 ± 2.0 (SD) out of 10. Except for one patient, all responders would like to continue using the glasses, mostly because they considered it a useful aid. Conclusion. Blue light therapy appears to have a positive effect on sleep, mood, and motor symptoms in PD. PD patients had an overall positive attitude towards blue light glasses as treatment for sleep disorders.
Momenteel vindt een fase II gerandomiseerd, placebo-gecontroleerde studie plaats waarvan we de resultaten in de komende maanden verwachten. We zullen deze resultaten delen zodra het onderzoek wordt gepubliceerd.
In 2007, two studies were published (Willis and Turner, 2007; Paus et al., 2007). Willis et al. exposed 12 PD patients to 1–1.5 h of bright light pulses of 1.000–1.500 Lux in intensity 1 h before bedtime during 1 to 5 weeks (Willis and Turner, 2007). The investigators reported significant improvement of motor function including bradykinesia and rigidity. Tremor was not improved by light therapy. Bright light therapy had an anti-depressant effect that lasted several weeks following treatment and was exteriorised by increased socialisation. Subjective self-assessment of sleep habits showed also significant improvement (Willis and Turner, 2007).
Another study by Paus et al. was a randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blind pilot clinical trial of light therapy (Paus et al., 2007). The experimental group consisting of 18 PD patients received 30 min of bright light of 7.500 lx and was compared to 18 PD patients receiving placebo light pulses of 950 lx. Light was administered 1 h after awakening daily for 2 weeks. Patients receiving bright light showed improvement in depression. With the exception of a slight attenuation of tremor, no improvements were reported in motor symptoms (i.e. bradykinesia and rigidity). Regarding the sleep-wake cycles, the function assessed was excessive daytime sleepiness that improved with light therapy in both the active and placebo group with no significant in between-group difference. Although showing promising results, the main limitation of these two studies was the short-term duration of light administration which may explain the modest treatment effects and preclude any conclusion regarding the safety and efficacy of the desirable long-term administration of light therapy to PD patients in routine clinical settings (Willis and Turner, 2007; Paus et al., 2007).
