Twenty-four of Lumie’s most powerful light boxes, Lumie Brazil, are being donated to the research project that will examine the efficacy and tolerability of two non-pharmaceutical interventions to improve the life and sleep quality of people who have Huntington’s disease. One of these interventions is bright light therapy, the other being sleep restriction therapy. The project is due to start in April 2016 and is expected to take 8 months to complete.
Huntington’s disease is caused by an inherited faulty gene that damages certain nerve cells in the brain. This brain damage gets progressively worse over time and can affect movement, cognition (perception, awareness, thinking, judgement) and behaviour. Early features can include personality changes, mood swings, fidgety movements, irritability and altered behaviour, although these are often overlooked and attributed to something else. Currently there's no cure for Huntington's disease and its progress can't be reversed or slowed down. UK research carried out in 2012 found the actual figure for those affected by the condition to be about 12 people per 100,000.
Cambridge-based Lumie is a light therapy specialist whose products are proven* to promote a healthy sleep/wake cycle by regulating the body clock as well as helping you to feel more energetic and productive throughout the day. Lumie Brazil offers a much higher light intensity than standard lighting, emitting
10,000 lux at 35cms. To put that in context, on a bright day but not in direct sunlight the level of brightness ranges from 10,000 to 25,000 lux while in direct sunlight that goes up from 32,000 to 100,000 lux. Bright light has been shown to have an immediate impact, increasing levels of alertness, boosting mood and improving performance. Lumie Brazil is used during the day and is especially good first thing in the morning to help you get going and also for the post-lunch slump.
*Some relevant research references:
The effects of light therapy on sleep problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Sep 9;29:52-62.
Light as Therapy for Sleep Disorders and Depression in Older Adults. Clin Geriatr. 2008 Mar 1;16(3):25-31.
Treatment of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders with Light. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2008;37:669-76.
About Lumie
Since 1991 Lumie has been researching and designing bright lights to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other conditions. Our first Bodyclock dawn simulator – an alarm that wakes you up with increasing levels of light – was the world’s first wake-up light and brought light therapy into the mainstream. We also designed and developed Lumie Clear, a unique hand held device that uses combined blue and red light therapy to treat acne.
Over the years Lumie has worked closely with the scientific community. All of our products – the broadest range in Europe – are based on published research and designed by us from our base in Cambridge. Lumie is in the EuRhythDia consortium investigating circadian rhythms and type 2 diabetes, and is working with Liverpool John Moores University sports science department. We continue to research new applications for light therapy.
Lumie products are medical devices, certified to the Medical Devices Directive (93/42EEC)and supplied to the NHS on an occasional basis. Distance and brightness levels (lux) are independently verified and Lumie is registered with the government's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
The benefits of light therapy reach far beyond SAD. Our lights help you to sleep well and get up in the morning, beat the afternoon slump, conquer jetlag and look after your skin. They also optimise sports performance and we are proud to provide lights to some of Great Britain’s elite athletes as well as acting as official suppliers to British Swimming.
Two of our wake-up lights, Active and Elite, provide white noise as an option. If you are trying to sleep in a noisy environment or during the day, white noise helps to muffle other sounds, like traffic or people talking.
In the UK our products are available through www.lumie.com as well as major retailers like John Lewis, Boots, amazon, Selfridges, Neal’s Yard and wiggle.co.uk and we have an expanding network of distributors across Europe and in North America. For consumers buying through www.lumie.com we provide a 45 day trial period on all products and a dedicated customer careline.
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Contact:
Ruth Jackson
PR Manager, Lumie
Tel: 01954 786115
Mob: 07914 812261
www.lumie.com
Facebook: Lumie.light.therapy
Twitter: @lumie_lights
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