A Pilot Trial of Light Therapy on Fatigue, Mood, Sleep Quality, and Quality of Life in Individuals with Post-Treatment Cancer-Related Fatigue
Date
2013-09-23
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Abstract
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common and distressing symptom reported by individuals with cancer, with 33% of patients continuing to experience fatigue for months or years following treatment. Despite its prevalence, CRF remains relatively undertreated and poorly understood. Light therapy is an effective treatment for a variety of fatigue disorders. This study evaluated the impact of a one-month light therapy treatment on fatigue, mood, sleep quality, and quality of life (QOL) in post-treatment cancer survivors with CRF. Eight participants were randomized to either bright white light (BWL) or dim red light (DRL) and completed baseline and post-treatment measures. Participants in both the BWL and DRL treatments groups showed reductions in fatigue, and improvements in sleep quality and QOL. Given the small sample size and the time of year the study was conducted, the results should be interpreted with caution.
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Citation
Johnson, J. (2013). A Pilot Trial of Light Therapy on Fatigue, Mood, Sleep Quality, and Quality of Life in Individuals with Post-Treatment Cancer-Related Fatigue (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24954