Helen J Burgess1, Margaret Park2, Jason C Ong3, Najia Shakoor4, David A Williams5, John Burns6. 1. Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 2. Chicago Sleep Health, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 3. Sleep Disorders Service and Research Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 4. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 5. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. 6. Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract
Objective: To test the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of a home-based morning versus evening bright light treatment on function and pain sensitivity in women with fibromyalgia. Design: A single blind randomized study with two treatment arms: 6 days of a 1 hour morning light treatment or 6 days of a 1 hour evening light treatment. Function, pain sensitivity, and circadian timing were assessed before and after treatment. Setting: Participants slept at home, except for two nights in Sleep Center. Participants: Ten women meeting the American College of Rheumatology's diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, including normal blood test results. Methods: Self-reported function was assessed with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Pain sensitivity was assessed using a heat stimulus that gave measures of threshold and tolerance. Circadian timing was assessed with the dim light melatonin onset. Results: Both morning and evening light treatments led to improvements in function and pain sensitivity. However, only the morning light treatment led to a clinically meaningful improvement in function (>14% reduction from baseline FIQ) and morning light significantly increased pain threshold more than evening light ( P < 0.05). Phase advances in circadian timing were associated with an increase in pain tolerance (r = 0.67, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Bright light treatment appears to be a feasible and acceptable adjunctive treatment to women with fibromyalgia. Those who undergo morning light treatment may show improvements in function and pain sensitivity. Advances in circadian timing may be one mechanism by which morning light improves pain sensitivity. Findings can inform the design of a randomized controlled trial.
RCT Entities:
Objective: To test the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of a home-based morning versus evening bright light treatment on function and pain sensitivity in women with fibromyalgia. Design: A single blind randomized study with two treatment arms: 6 days of a 1 hour morning light treatment or 6 days of a 1 hour evening light treatment. Function, pain sensitivity, and circadian timing were assessed before and after treatment. Setting: Participants slept at home, except for two nights in Sleep Center. Participants: Ten women meeting the American College of Rheumatology's diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, including normal blood test results. Methods: Self-reported function was assessed with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Pain sensitivity was assessed using a heat stimulus that gave measures of threshold and tolerance. Circadian timing was assessed with the dim light melatonin onset. Results: Both morning and evening light treatments led to improvements in function and pain sensitivity. However, only the morning light treatment led to a clinically meaningful improvement in function (>14% reduction from baseline FIQ) and morning light significantly increased pain threshold more than evening light ( P < 0.05). Phase advances in circadian timing were associated with an increase in pain tolerance (r = 0.67, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Bright light treatment appears to be a feasible and acceptable adjunctive treatment to women with fibromyalgia. Those who undergo morning light treatment may show improvements in function and pain sensitivity. Advances in circadian timing may be one mechanism by which morning light improves pain sensitivity. Findings can inform the design of a randomized controlled trial.
Authors: Ariel B Neikrug; Gary Donaldson; Eli Iacob; Sam L Williams; Christopher A Hamilton; Akiko Okifuji Journal: Pain Date: 2017-08 Impact factor: 6.961
Authors: Cathy A Goldstein; David Kagan; Muneer Rizvydeen; Samuel Warshaw; Jonathan P Troost; Helen J Burgess Journal: Brain Behav Immun Health Date: 2022-05-31
Authors: Jason C Ong; Hannah L Taylor; Margaret Park; Helen J Burgess; Rina S Fox; Sarah Snyder; Jeanetta C Rains; Colin A Espie; James K Wyatt Journal: Headache Date: 2018-05-04 Impact factor: 5.887
Authors: Helen J Burgess; Muneer Rizvydeen; Momoko Kimura; Mark H Pollack; Stevan E Hobfoll; Kumar B Rajan; John W Burns Journal: Pain Med Date: 2019-04-01 Impact factor: 3.750
Authors: Trinitat Cambras; Jesús Castro-Marrero; Maria Cleofé Zaragoza; Antoni Díez-Noguera; José Alegre Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-06-06 Impact factor: 3.240