Light therapy can help relieve symptoms of fatigue experienced by people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a new study has revealed.
Up to 99 per cent of people living with MS experience a fatigue, a severe form of tiredness described by many patients as the most distressing symptom of their condition.
However, a recent study has revealed that light therapy could be a promising non-drug treatment option for fatigue in MS patients, with a measurable improvement seen after just 14 days of use.
“The findings from our study represent a promising non-drug therapeutic approach,” said study leader Stefan Seidel.
The research group, from MedUni Vienna and AKH Vienna, relied not only on surveys, but also – for the first time – on objective measurements when selecting the study participants.
For example, sleep-wake disorders were ruled out in the 26 participating MS patients, particularly with the assistance of various sleep medicine examinations.
“In this manner, for example, we ensured that MS patients with fatigue do not suffer from sleep apnea or periodic leg movements during sleep. Both are sleep disorders that can lead to fatigue in everyday life,” said Seidel.
The test participants – all patients of the Neurology Department at MedUni Vienna and AKH Vienna – were equipped with commercially-available light sources for self-testing at home.
Half of the participants received a daylight lamp with a brightness of 10,000 lux, while the other half received an identical lamp that emitted a red light with an intensity of <300 lux due to a filter.
While the red light used by the control group showed no effect, the researchers were able to observe measurable successes in the other group after only 14 days.
The participants who used their 10,000 lux daylight lamp for half an hour every day showed improved physical and mental performance after only a short period of time.
In addition, the group of participants who had consumed bright light displayed less daytime sleepiness in comparison with the other group.
However, the results still need to be confirmed in a subsequent larger-scale study. The exact background of the invigorating effect of light therapy on MS patients will also be the subject of further scientific research.
