Morning bright light therapy for fibromyalgia
At Home Morning Bright Light Treatment For Chronic Nociplastic Pain
This project tests whether using a one-hour bright light device each morning at home can reduce pain and improve sleep, mood, and daily function for people with fibromyalgia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11362117 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would use a commercially available wearable light device at home for one hour each morning for several weeks, with some people receiving bright light and others a dimmed comparison. The team will collect information about your pain, sleep timing, mood, and daily function through questionnaires and wearable/diary data before, during, and after the treatment period. The approach is self-administered, non-invasive, and was feasible in a prior small trial that showed improved sleep timing and function. This larger project aims to confirm those benefits and include a more diverse group of participants.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic nociplastic widespread pain who can commit to daily morning use of a wearable light device and complete remote or clinic visits as requested.
Not a fit: People whose pain is clearly due to inflammatory or neuropathic causes, those with contraindicated eye conditions or problematic photosensitivity, or anyone unable to follow a daily morning routine may not receive benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer an easy, low-risk home treatment that lessens fibromyalgia pain, improves sleep and mood, and helps you function better day-to-day.
How similar studies have performed: A prior small R21 trial of a 4-week, 1-hour daily morning bright light protocol showed feasibility, more stable earlier sleep timing, and improvements in function and pain, but larger confirmation is needed.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burgess, Helen Julia — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Burgess, Helen Julia
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.