Evaluation of the impact of a 8 week exposure to a portable light therapy device, Luminette®, on retinal function assessed by ElectroRetinoGraphy

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) treatment can be long and difficult to obtain. Thus, alternative non-pharmacological treatments, such as light therapy (LT), are increasingly recommended to treat MDD. For better treatment adherence, portable LT devices have been developed. However, more research is needed to better understand their safety of their use on patients’ physiology. One way to explore it is evaluating the retina function. That is why the aim of the study presented was to assess, thanks to Electroretinography (ERG), the impact on retinal function of an 8 weeks exposure to an active or a placebo LT portable device in MDD patients.

Method

MDD patients were treated with an active portable LT device or with a placebo LT device. The LT device tested was Luminette®. ERG measurements were carried out before the start of the LT treatment and 4 and 8 weeks afterwards.

Results

No significant differences were found in the ERG waveforms between the patients treated with active Luminette® and patients treated with the placebo device.

Conclusions

The use of the Luminette® device for 8 weeks, combined with usual care, did not result in any morphological or quantitative alterations in ERG waveforms in our cohort of MDD patients. This portable LT device would therefore be well tolerated at retinal level in MDD patients.