TWILIGHT Study: Effect of Light Exposure During Acute Rehabilitation on Sleep After TBI

Sleep efficiency scores derived from actigraphy data will be the primary outcome. We will set the Actiwatch to record activity data in 60-second intervals. Actigraphy data will be automatically scored with Actiware software (Respironics, Philips Healthcare), which uses validated algorithms to determine whether an epoch of activity is "sleep" or "wake" (Cole RJ, 1992). Typically there is a lack of a consistent sleep/wake cycle in the study population, therefore we will be using sleep efficiency and total sleep time scores obtained during a set night-time interval (2200 to 0600) as the primary index of sleep function, as has been used in previous publications[39, 40]. We will be comparing average between group differences between the BWL and RL groups at baseline and after 10 days of light therapy.

The Barrow Neurological Institute Fatigue Scale (BNI-FS; Fatigue Outcome) is an 11-point scale that examines fatigue during acute recovery from TBI. Scores on items 1-10 may range from 1 (rarely a problem), 2-3 (occasional problem but not frequent), 4-5 (a frequent problem), 6-7 (a problem most of the time). The last item is a general rating of fatigue from 0 (not a problem) to 10 (a severe problem). The total BNI-FS is a sum of the first 10 items (0-70), where higher scores indicate worse outcome.

The BNI-FS is a scale that was designed to examine fatigue during acute recovery from TBI. The clinical staff involved in the care of these subjects were asked to rate the phototherapy intervention for ease of use, perceived relevance to rehabilitation care, and impression of effectiveness.

Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the most widely accepted functional assessment measure in use in the rehabilitation community. The FIM is an 18-item ordinal scale, used with all diagnoses within a rehabilitation population. Each item is scored on a 7 point ordinal scale, ranging from a score of 1 to a score of 7. The higher the score, the more independent the patient is in performing the task associated with that item. Motor subscale (the sum of the individual motor subscale items) will be a value between 13 and 91.

The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is a pencil and paper test for attention that takes approximately five minutes to administer and is frequently used in evaluations after TBI. The SDMT was administered at enrollment and after intervention. The Interagency Workgroup on TBI Outcomes selected the SDMT as CORE common data elements in TBI outcomes research. The SDMT measures attention and speed of processing (the test-taker substitutes a number for random presentations of geometric figures). Scoring involves summing the number of correct substitutions within the 90 second interval (min=0, max = 110), with higher scores representing better attention/speed of processing.

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Mood Outcome) includes a total of 20 items of affect with 10 focused on positive affect and 10 focused on negative affect. The total score of the PANAS: Positive is the sum of the 10 positive items which are rated on a likert scale ranging from 1=very slightly or not at all to 5=extremely. For the total positive score, a higher score indicates more positive affect. affect. Scores can range from 10-50 for Positive Affect.

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Mood Outcome) includes a total of 20 items of affect with 10 focused on positive affect and 10 focused on negative affect. The total score of the PANAS: Negative is the sum of the 10 negative items which are rated on a likert scale ranging from 1=very slightly or not at all to 5=extremely. For the total negative score, a higher score indicates more negative affect. affect. Scores can range from 10-50 for Negative Affect.

The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS; Sleepiness Outcome) is a single-question with a 9-point Likert scale (1 = extremely alert, 9 = extremely sleepy, fighting sleep) measuring subjective sleepiness at the time of report.

The Makley scale is a 4-point ordinal scale which allows staff to score sleep as follows:

0 = asleep; 1 = drowsy/falling asleep; 2 = drowsy/waking up; 3 = awake.

Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the most widely accepted functional assessment measure in use in the rehabilitation community. The FIM is an 18-item ordinal scale, used with all diagnoses within a rehabilitation population. Each item is scored on a 7 point ordinal scale, ranging from a score of 1 to a score of 7. The higher the score, the more independent the patient is in performing the task associated with that item. Cognition subscale (the sum of the individual cognition subscale items) will be a value between 5 and 35.

Cooperation Measure (Therapy Outcome). Patient cooperation was rated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0%-not cooperative to 100%- fully cooperative.10 Staff physical therapists were asked to rate cooperation both prior to initiation and after completion of phototherapy.