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BLUES - stabilizing mood and sleep with blue blocking eyewear in bipolar disorder - a randomized controlled trial
Helle Østergaard Madsen1, Ida Hageman2, Klaus Martiny1,3
1Copenhagen Affective Disorder Research Centre (CADIC), Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Annals of Medicine
|December 18, 2023
Summary
Blue blocking glasses show promise for treating bipolar disorder symptoms. This study investigates their acute and long-term effects on mania and mood stabilization in outpatients.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Chronotherapeutic interventions offer rapid, safe treatment for bipolar depression and mania.
- Blue light filtering eyewear has demonstrated antimanic and sleep-promoting effects in inpatient mania.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the acute and long-term mood-stabilizing effects of blue blocking (BB) glasses in outpatients with bipolar disorder.
- To explore the impact of BB glasses on sleep patterns and overall well-being.
Main Methods:
- 150 outpatients with bipolar disorder randomized to high (99%) or low (15%) blue light filtration glasses.
- 7-day intervention with glasses worn nightly, followed by a 3-month tailored treatment paradigm.
- Assessments include symptom ratings, sleep questionnaires, pupillometry, actigraphy, and smartphone-based self-monitoring.
Main Results:
- Primary outcome: Change in Young Mania Rating Scale scores after 7 days.
- Secondary outcomes: Actigraphic sleep parameters, mood/sleep/activity instability, and general functioning at 1 and 3 months.
- Long-term effects explored through a tailored treatment schedule based on symptomatology.
Conclusions:
- Blue blocking glasses represent a novel, non-pharmacological approach for managing bipolar disorder.
- Further research is warranted to confirm the efficacy and optimize the application of BB glasses in bipolar disorder treatment.
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