INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 05 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 02:30 pm - 03:45 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry \| Addiction/Dependence \| Stress/Coping \| Emotional/Social Processes Final Abstract #43 The Effectiveness of Blue Light Therapy on PTSD Developed After Direct Exposure Versus Indirect Exposure to Trauma. Kymberly Henderson-Arredondo, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States Lindsey Hildebrand, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States Alisa Huskey, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States William Killgore, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States Category: Mood and Anxiety Disorders Keyword 1: post-traumatic stress disorder Keyword 2: anxiety Keyword 3: chronic stress Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can arise from either direct or indirect exposure to a traumatic event. The type of traumatic event can influence the symptom presentation and the effectiveness of various therapies. While many treatments exist for PTSD, most are only modestly effective. Our group has been investigating the effects of blue-wavelength light exposure as a method to enhance recovery by influencing sleep and circadian outcomes. Because the form of traumatic exposure may affect sleep, we hypothesized that morning BL therapy would have a greater impact on symptom expression for those who developed PTSD from indirect exposure in comparison to someone who experienced direct exposure to a traumatic event. Participants and Methods: Our study included 79 participants (M_age=30.8, SD=8.64) meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-V). Half of these participants were randomly assigned to receive daily 30-minute morning BL exposure for 6 weeks and the other half received a placebo amber light under the same constraints. For the study, the PTSD Check List for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) was administered before and after the 6-week (30 minutes daily) light treatment protocol. For this analysis, the PCL-5 scores before and after treatment were used along with a SCID question relating to the type of exposure to trauma the participant underwent. In total there were 66 participants who had direct exposure to trauma and only 13 who had indirect exposure. We conducted a mixed effects ANOVA to determine the effectiveness of treatment and how it differentiated between each type of exposure. Results: There was no statistically significant interaction effect of light group and exposure on PTSD symptom severity (F (1, 75)= 0.069, p= 0.794 partial eta=.001). For those in the BL group who were directly exposed to trauma, we found that there was a significant reduction in reported PTSD symptom severity post-treatment (M=174.8, SD=89.2) compared to pre-treatment (M=189.0, SD=86.7; p<.001). However, those who were directly exposed to trauma and assigned to the amber light treatment also experienced a significant reduction in PTSD symptomology post-treatment (M=170.8, SD=70.6) compared to pre-treatment (M=182.4, SD=72.0) (p <.001). Conclusions: BL therapy does help improve symptoms of PTSD for those that have undergone direct exposure to trauma; however, so does amber light. There was no significant effect of exposure type on response to either light protocol, suggesting that there may be benefits from light exposure regardless of the wavelengths used here. This study had limited power, therefore, a larger group of individuals with a history of indirect trauma exposure will be necessary to fully test these effects. Future research could focus on investigating the difference in effectiveness of BL therapy on complex-PTSD (C-PTSD) developed after prolonged exposure to trauma compared to PTSD developed from a single event.

Poster

02/15/2024
02:30 pm - 03:45 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry | Addiction/Dependence | Stress/Coping | Emotional/Social Processes

Final Abstract #43

The Effectiveness of Blue Light Therapy on PTSD Developed After Direct Exposure Versus Indirect Exposure to Trauma.

Kymberly Henderson-Arredondo, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
Lindsey Hildebrand, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
Alisa Huskey, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
William Killgore, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States

Category: Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Keyword 1: post-traumatic stress disorder
Keyword 2: anxiety
Keyword 3: chronic stress

Objective:

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can arise from either direct or indirect exposure to a traumatic event. The type of traumatic event can influence the symptom presentation and the effectiveness of various therapies. While many treatments exist for PTSD, most are only modestly effective. Our group has been investigating the effects of blue-wavelength light exposure as a method to enhance recovery by influencing sleep and circadian outcomes. Because the form of traumatic exposure may affect sleep, we hypothesized that morning BL therapy would have a greater impact on symptom expression for those who developed PTSD from indirect exposure in comparison to someone who experienced direct exposure to a traumatic event.

Participants and Methods:

Our study included 79 participants (M_age=30.8, SD=8.64) meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-V). Half of these participants were randomly assigned to receive daily 30-minute morning BL exposure for 6 weeks and the other half received a placebo amber light under the same constraints. For the study, the PTSD Check List for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) was administered before and after the 6-week (30 minutes daily) light treatment protocol. For this analysis, the PCL-5 scores before and after treatment were used along with a SCID question relating to the type of exposure to trauma the participant underwent. In total there were 66 participants who had direct exposure to trauma and only 13 who had indirect exposure. We conducted a mixed effects ANOVA to determine the effectiveness of treatment and how it differentiated between each type of exposure.

Results:

There was no statistically significant interaction effect of light group and exposure on PTSD symptom severity (F (1, 75)= 0.069, p= 0.794 partial eta=.001). For those in the BL group who were directly exposed to trauma, we found that there was a significant reduction in reported PTSD symptom severity post-treatment (M=174.8, SD=89.2) compared to pre-treatment (M=189.0, SD=86.7; p<.001). However, those who were directly exposed to trauma and assigned to the amber light treatment also experienced a significant reduction in PTSD symptomology post-treatment (M=170.8, SD=70.6) compared to pre-treatment (M=182.4, SD=72.0) (p <.001).

Conclusions:

BL therapy does help improve symptoms of PTSD for those that have undergone direct exposure to trauma; however, so does amber light. There was no significant effect of exposure type on response to either light protocol, suggesting that there may be benefits from light exposure regardless of the wavelengths used here. This study had limited power, therefore, a larger group of individuals with a history of indirect trauma exposure will be necessary to fully test these effects. Future research could focus on investigating the difference in effectiveness of BL therapy on complex-PTSD (C-PTSD) developed after prolonged exposure to trauma compared to PTSD developed from a single event.