About this trial
The "polytrauma clinical triad" (PCT), a highly disabling constellation of factors, is defined by the coexistence of traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain. Veterans with the PCT are medically complex, often refractory to conventional therapies, and suffer from additional related chronic sequela. Notably, sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment, which the investigators hypothesize are significant contributing factors to these functional impairments and an impediment toward rehabilitation. Thus, the investigators' research aims to intervene "at the level of sleep", and by improving sleep, improve these interconnected, disabling, and difficult to treat enduring complexities associated with the PCT - ultimately to improve Veteran quality of life, functional independence, and restorative function. The investigators predict that the proposed intervention, morning bright light therapy, which is cost-effective, rapidly deployable and home-based, will be effective in improving sleep and overall PCT symptom management, thereby, resulting in a measurable and impactful improvement in quality of life.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Veteran
English speaking with phone and internet access
Current self-reported sleep disturbances
Clinical stable for current pharmacologic or behavioral health treatments for depression, anxiety, sleep and pain
Disqualifiers
Decisional impairment and/or dementia
Current usage of a lightbox or negative ion generator
Shift work
History of macular degeneration and/or bipolar disorder
Trial design
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Morning Bright Light Therapy
DeviceMorning bright light: Sitting in front of a lightbox for 60 minutes every morning within 120 minutes of waking up.
Negative Ion Generator
DeviceNegative ion generator: Sitting in front of a modified negative ion generator for 60 min every morning within 120 minutes of waking up.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Sleep Efficiency via wrist based actigraphy
Sleep efficiency is defined by the total time asleep divided by total time spent in bed
Secondary outcomes
Self-reported sleep quality via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index is a validated questionnaire assessing metrics related to sleep quality.
Sponsors and contacts
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