Blue-wavelength light therapy for post-traumatic brain injury sleepiness, sleep disturbance, depression, and fatigue: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

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.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the efficacy of blue-wavelength light therapy for post-TBI symptoms, finding that it may be useful in reducing depression and fatigue in these patients.