CLOCK RESETTING WITH EXTRAOCULAR LIGHT--DOSE RESPONSE

用眼外光重置时钟——剂量反应

• 批准号: 2802060
• 负责人: HENRY C SAVAGE
• 金额: $ 11.18万
• 依托单位: APOLLO LIGHT SYSTEMS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-06-07 至 2000-12-07
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2802060
• 关键词: biological clocks; circadian rhythms; clinical research; human subject; melatonin; phototherapy; sleep disorders; technology /technique development

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): Circadian rhythm sleep disorders affect a large number of people across a wide age range. Timed bright light exposure is a promising treatment for such sleep disorders that are thought to involve the biological clock. Yet, light treatment as currently practiced has significant drawbacks: The time- consuming and tedious nature of most light treatment regimens make them difficult for many people to use on a consistent and continuing basis. Moreover, the nature of the endogenous clock's response to light dictates that maximum effects are obtained at times when people are typically asleep. We have shown that the circadian clock responds to extraocular light in the same manner as when light is presented to the eyes. This finding offers potentially exciting solutions to problems currently complicating the therapeutic use of bright light. By eliminating the need to receive light via the retina, light delivery systems can be made more easily portable, and thus, less intrusive on users' behavior. As importantly, by eliminating the need to receive light through the eyes, treatments conceivably may occur while patients are asleep, thus taking advantage of the most optimal times of light exposure. Yet, before treatments can be successfully developed using extraocular sites, a better understanding of the basic properties of extraocular light exposure is required. This project will examine one of the most important issues in this regard the intensity of light required to induce clock resetting. In a counter-balanced, laboratory-based study, we will examine the phase shifting capacity of two light intensity levels in 12 healthy young adults. The study addresses an issue crucial to the successful implementation of light treatments using extraocular exposure, since demonstration of efficacy with reduced intensity levels could substantially enhance development of portable and affordable devices. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: If the proposed device is effective in treating SAD, a simple, inexpensive, convenient unit would be commercially available for millions of individuals who suffer from this disorder. Such a unit could also be useful in treatment of other seasonal psychiatric disorders, circadian rhythm disorders such as sleep syndromes, and in some instances non-seasonal depression.

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：昼夜节律睡眠障碍影响着各个年龄段的许多人。定时强光照射是治疗此类睡眠障碍的一种有前途的方法，人们认为这种睡眠障碍与生物钟有关。然而，目前实行的光治疗具有显着的缺点：大多数光治疗方案耗时且乏味，使得许多人难以持续且一致地使用它们。此外，内源生物钟对光响应的性质决定了在人们通常睡眠时获得最大效果。我们已经证明，生物钟对眼外光的反应方式与光线照射到眼睛时的反应方式相同。这一发现为目前使强光治疗使用复杂化的问题提供了潜在的令人兴奋的解决方案。通过消除通过视网膜接收光的需要，光传输系统可以变得更容易携带，从而减少对用户行为的干扰。同样重要的是，通过消除通过眼睛接收光线的需要，治疗可以在患者睡眠时进行，从而利用最佳的光照时间。然而，在利用眼外部位成功开发治疗方法之前，需要更好地了解眼外光暴露的基本特性。该项目将研究这方面最重要的问题之一，即引起时钟重置所需的光强度。在一项基于实验室的平衡研究中，我们将检查 12 名健康年轻人的两种光强度水平的相移能力。该研究解决了使用眼外照射成功实施光治疗的一个关键问题，因为降低强度水平的疗效证明可以大大促进便携式和负担得起的设备的开发。拟议的商业应用：如果所提出的装置能有效治疗 SAD，那么一种简单、廉价、方便的装置将可供数百万患有这种疾病的人使用。这样的装置也可用于治疗其他季节性精神疾病、昼夜节律紊乱（例如睡眠综合症）以及某些情况下的非季节性抑郁症。