Light sensitivity in bipolar disorder

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Investigating light sensitivity in bipolar disorder (HELIOS-BD)

• IRAS ID

  331747

• Contact name

  Daniel Smith

• Contact email

  d.smith@ed.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Edinburgh

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 5 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  This study is designed to investigate whether people with bipolar disorder have an increased sensitivity to light, and whether lithium might act to reduce this light sensitivity.

  Many people with bipolar disorder have disrupted circadian rhythms. This means that the timing of sleep and wake activities become out-of-sync with the standard 24-hour cycle. Circadian rhythms are greatly influenced by light levels and previous research suggests that people with bipolar disorder might have a heightened sensitivity to light, causing circadian rhythm disruption.

  We are testing this ‘light sensitivity’ theory and we are also investigating whether people taking the mood-stabilising medication Lithium have reduced light sensitivity.

  We are aiming to recruit 180 people to this study:
  • 60 people with bipolar disorder who are currently taking Lithium
  • 60 people with bipolar disorder who are not currently taking Lithium
  • 60 people without bipolar disorder

  We will compare data about mental health, circadian rhythms, hormone levels and visual responses between people with bipolar disorder and people without bipolar disorder. The study is arranged into three main parts (A, B and C) and collects this data over several study visits.

  All participants attend the following 4 visits:
  • Baseline study visit
  A 1.5-hour appointment at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to collect data about day-to-day life and health.
  • Part A study visit
  Two consecutive overnight stays at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to measure hormone response to a night-time light experiment.
  • Part B study visit
  Two 2-hour appointments at the University of Edinburgh to test colour perception and responses to visual stimuli, either on the same day or separately
  • Part C study visit
  Three 40-minute appointments at the University of Edinburgh to take structural images and measurements of the retina, spread out over 18 months

  Ultimately, this research will provide a greater understanding of circadian disruption in bipolar disorder and may help to develop new treatment approaches in the future.

• REC name

  South East Scotland REC 01

• REC reference

  23/SS/0104

• Date of REC Opinion

  20 Oct 2023

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion