Open AccessBlue-wavelength light therapy for post-traumatic brain injury sleepiness, sleep disturbance, depression, and fatigue: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Author(s) -
Karan Srisurapat,
Yanisa Samakarn,
Boonyasit Kamklong,
Phichayakan Siratrairat,
Arina Bumiputra,
Montita Jaikwang,
Manit Srisurapat
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0246172
Subject(s) - light therapy , meta analysis , randomized controlled trial , medicine , depression (economics) , traumatic brain injury , cochrane library , sleep disorder , physical therapy , psychiatry , insomnia , economics , circadian rhythm , macroeconomics
Objective This review aimed to determine the efficacy of blue-wavelength light therapy (BWLT) for post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) sleepiness, sleep disturbance, depression, and fatigue. Methods Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Academic Search Complete, and CINAHL. Included trials were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of BWLT in adults with a history of TBI. Outcomes of interest included sleepiness, sleep disturbance, depression, or fatigue. Two reviewers independently screened the searched items, selected the trials, extracted the data, and rating the quality of trials. We aggregated the data using a random-effect, frequentist network meta-analysis (NMA). Results We searched the databases on July 4, 2020. This review included four RCTs of 117 patients with a history of TBI who were randomized to received BWLT, amber light therapy (ALT), or no light therapy (NLT). Moderate-quality evidence revealed that: i) BWLT was significantly superior to NLT in reducing depression (SMD = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.20 to 1.43) ii) BWLT reduced fatigue at a significantly greater extent than NLT (SMD = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.41 to 1.76) and ALT (SMD = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.14 to 1.86). Low-quality evidence suggested that BWLT reduced depression at a greater extent than ALT (SMD = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.04 to 1.10). Low-quality evidence found that the dropout rates of those receiving BWLT and ALT were not significantly different (RR = 3.72, 95% CI = 0.65 to 21.34). Conclusion Moderate-quality evidence suggests that BWLT may be useful for post-TBI depression and fatigue.