Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41275449›Full record

Trial reportCancer medicine2025

The Effects of Light Therapy on Cognitive Function and Stress in Women With Breast Cancer Before Systemic Treatment.

Snaefridur Gudmundsdottir Aspelund, Thorhildur Halldorsdottir, Gudjon Agustsson, Hannah Ros Sigurdardottir Tobin, Lisa M Wu, Ali Amidi, Kamilla R Johannsdottir, Susan K Lutgendorf, Rachel Telles, Huldis Franksdottir Daly and 5 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Cancer medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04418856 (Light Therapy to Treat Cancer-related Fatigue, Sleep Problems, Depression and Cognitive Impairment Among Breast Cancer Patients.), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT04418856 nacompletednot on this map

Light Therapy to Treat Cancer-related Fatigue, Sleep Problems, Depression and Cognitive Impairment Among Breast Cancer Patients.

TypeinterventionalSponsorReykjavik UniversityRan2020 to 2024Enrolled260ConditionsBreast Cancer, Circadian Rhythms, Fatigue, Sleep DisturbanceArmsLight Glasses (Experimental), Light Glasses (Comparison)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Methodology of analysis of cognitive impairment in longitudinal randomized clinical trials in oncology: a scoping review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Snaefridur Gudmundsdottir AspelundDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8754-3686
Thorhildur HalldorsdottirDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0637-8912
Gudjon AgustssonDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Hannah Ros Sigurdardottir TobinDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Lisa M WuDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2241-9905
Ali AmidiDepartment of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2921-9797
Kamilla R JohannsdottirDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3636-3378
Susan K LutgendorfDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3793-5881
Rachel TellesDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0327-8326
Huldis Franksdottir DalyDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Kristin SigurdardottirBreast Center, University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Mariana G FigueiroLight and Health Research Center, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7773-9239
William H ReddDepartment of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, USA.
Heiddis B ValdimarsdottirDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9976-0007
Birna BaldursdottirDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8702-3173

Funding

Icelandic Research Fund 184999-051Reykjavik University Research FundThe Icelandic Cancer Society´s Research Fund
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), for example, impairments in reaction time, processing speed, memory and executive function, may be associated with breast cancer (BC) surgery which can disrupt biological and psychological stress markers. Evidence suggests that light therapy may ameliorate cognitive impairment and stress. In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, we investigated the efficacy of light therapy on mitigating the impact of BC surgery on CRCI in a national Icelandic cohort of women with BC.

methodsParticipants were randomly allocated to receive circadian-effective blue light (BL, N = 60) or circadian-ineffective dim light (DL, N = 57) for 4 weeks after surgery. The primary outcome was overall cognitive performance (assessed via global composite score), and secondary outcomes were specific cognitive domains, cognitive complaints, psychological (depressive symptoms, overall cancer-related stress and its symptoms: hyperarousal, avoidance, and intrusive thoughts) and biological (cortisol and α-amylase) stress markers. Linear regression and path analyses within structural equation modeling frameworks were conducted, adjusted for baseline cognitive performance, age, education, subsequent cancer treatment, cancer stage, and treatment credibility.

resultsNo group differences were found in overall cognitive performance or in specific cognitive domains, except for a non-significant trend for faster reaction times in the BL group (p < 0.11). Additionally, the BL group reported significantly fewer cognitive complaints compared with the DL group (p < 0.05), as well as a non-significant trend for less intrusive thoughts (p < 0.11). No group differences were observed in the biological stress markers.

conclusionOverall, these findings suggest that light therapy may help mitigate the adverse effects associated with BC surgery on CRCI and intrusive thoughts, although further research is warranted.

trial registrationNCT04418856.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCognitionCognitive DysfunctionPhototherapyStress, PsychologicalAdultAgedDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeHydrocortisonecancer‐related cognitive impairmentcircadian rhythmscortisolinternalizing symptomslight therapysurgeryα‐amylase

Identifiers

PMID41275449
PMCPMC12640611

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.