# Bright Light Therapy for residual daytime symptoms associated with obstructive sleep apnea

> **NIH VA I21** · VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Sleep apnea is one of the most common chronic condition among US military veterans, causing
significant detriment to function and quality of life. Persistent daytime symptoms of sleepiness
and depression in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea who are using Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure (CPAP) are associated with adverse long term medical and functional outcomes.
CPAP treatment, while effective at correcting respiratory events and night time blood oxygen
saturation levels, does not necessarily improve daytime symptoms, which are responsible for loss
of function. We hypothesize that, in individuals with vulnerable circadian system, circadian
rhythms disturbances may be triggered by sleep apnea. Our study will be the first to explore the
role of Bright Light Therapy (BLT), a well-established non-pharmacological intervention for
circadian disturbances, for the treatment of residual daytime symptoms of OSA which do not
respond to CPAP.
We will recruit 25 Veterans who have been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, are currently
adherent to treatment with CPAP and are still experiencing significant symptoms of daytime
sleepiness and depression. We will randomize them to receive one of the two possible treatment
sequences of Bright Light Therapy (BLT) and sham Bright Light Therapy (s-BLT): BLT-sBLT;
sBLT-BLT. We expect patients to experience improvement in sleep related functioning and quality
of life during the active treatment portion of the treatment sequence. The results will provide a
foundation for a well-powered RCT to test if morning light (bright vs. placebo), as a non-
pharmacological adjunctive treatment, can enhance existing treatments for sleep apnea to
improve symptom management and functional outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016755
- **Project number:** 1I21RX003304-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
- **Principal Investigator:** Isabella Soreca
- **Activity code:** I21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016755

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016755, Bright Light Therapy for residual daytime symptoms associated with obstructive sleep apnea (1I21RX003304-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016755. Licensed CC0.

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