Effects of Litebook EDGE™ Phototherapy on Academic Performance and Functional Brain Activity in Non-Depressed Adolescents

Detailed Summary

As children pass through puberty the timing of their sleep-wake cycle shifts and they experience a strong urge to stay up and awaken late. High school typically starts early in the morning and a significant percentage of normal adolescents arrive at school each day with an insufficient amount of sleep, which can take a substantial toll on their academic performance. As the primary reason for insufficient sleep is a naturally occurring propensity to stay up later in the evening it seems plausible that bright light treatment (BLT) at the appropriate time may phase advance biological clocks and potentially reverse this problem. Hence, the investigators are testing the hypothesis that consistent morning use of a light emitting diode (LED) BLT device (LiteBook Edge™) by healthy adolescents will shift the phase of their sleep wake cycle and enable them to receive an increased amount of sleep during the school week and perform better on tests of attention and academic performance and evidence signs of improved alertness. Alternatively, BLT could potentially enhance alertness through other mechanisms, such as a direct arousing effect, without exerting a discernible effect on circadian phase or sleep duration.

Study Details

Timeline

Interventions