Trial reportDepression and anxiety2019
A placebo-controlled pilot study of a wearable morning bright light treatment for probable PTSD.
Trial report in Depression and anxiety, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Examining photoperiod, chronotype, and adherence as predictors of morning light treatment effects on depression symptoms: A study of five clinical trials.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Pooled it
- The Effects of Light Therapy on Cognitive Function and Stress in Women With Breast Cancer Before Systemic Treatment.Cancer medicine · 2025Trial
- A 4-week morning light treatment reduces amygdala reactivity and clinical symptoms in adults with traumatic stress.Psychiatry research · 2024Trial
- Effect of maximal-intensity and high-intensity interval training on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2024Trial
- Bright light therapy for CPAP-resistant OSA symptoms.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2024Trial
- A 4-week morning light treatment with stable sleep timing for individuals with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2023Trial
- A randomized sham-controlled clinical trial of a novel wearable intervention for trauma-related nightmares in military veterans.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2023Trial
- Technology-enhanced in vivo exposures in Prolonged Exposure for PTSD: A pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of psychiatric research · 2022Trial
- Light Treatment for PTSD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2026Review
- Links between psychological distress, late chronotype, and impaired sleep quality in survivors of sexual assault.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Chronotherapeutic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Narrative Review of Recent Literature.Current psychiatry reports · 2025Review
- Tailored light intervention for sleep and cognition in World Trade Center (WTC) cohort.Archives of environmental & occupational health · 2025Article
- Associations between sleep and circadian rhythm disruption and perinatal anxiety.Npj biological timing and sleep · 2025Review
- The Role of Wearable Devices in Chronic Disease Monitoring and Patient Care: A Comprehensive Review.Cureus · 2024Review
- Light Therapy in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review of Interventional Studies.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Subjective Sleep Disturbances in Sexual Assault Survivors: Associations With Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity.Behavior therapy · 2023Article
- Effects of bright light therapy on neuroinflammatory and neuroplasticity markers in a diurnal rodent model of Seasonal Affective Disorder.Annals of medicine · 2023Article
- Morning light therapy in adults with Tourette's disorder.Journal of neurology · 2022Article
- Treatment with morning blue light increases left amygdala volume and sleep duration among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2022Article
- Morning blue light treatment improves sleep complaints, symptom severity, and retention of fear extinction memory in post-traumatic stress disorder.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEvidence-based treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have poor uptake and remission rates, suggesting that alternative treatments are needed. Morning bright light may be an effective treatment for PTSD given its established effects on mood and sleep, however, there are no published trials.
methodsWe conducted a placebo-controlled pilot trial of a wearable light device, the Re-timer®, for individuals with probable PTSD. Individuals were randomly assigned to the active Re-timer® (n = 9) or a placebo Re-timer® dimmed with neutral density filters (n = 6). Participants self-administered the treatment at home 1 hr each morning over 4 weeks. PTSD and depression symptoms were assessed at pre- and post-treatment.
resultsThe Re-timer® was well tolerated and the perceived benefit was high, though treatment adherence was only moderate. Those in the active group were more likely to achieve a minimal clinically important change in PTSD and depression symptoms and had larger symptom reductions than those in the placebo group
conclusionsA wearable morning light treatment was acceptable and feasible for patients with probable PTSD. This study provides initial proof-of-concept that light treatment can improve PTSD. A larger trial is warranted to establish treatment efficacy. NCT#: 03513848.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.