Bright Light Therapy Using ReTimer Glasses for Adults with Crohns Disease or Ulcerative Colitis to Improve Intestinal Barrier and Quality of Life

What this Trial Is About

Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD, which includes Crohns Disease CD and Ulcerative Colitis UC, affects over 1.5 million people in the U.S. This research explores the effects of morning bright light therapy BLT on patients with IBD who have circadian misalignment CM. The study aims to see if BLT can reduce intestinal permeability and inflammation, positively affect gut microbiota, and improve quality of life. Participants will wear a Re-Timer device, a lightweight set of glasses emitting blue-green light, for 60 minutes each morning over two 4-week periods in a randomized crossover design. Each participant will use both the active BLT device and a placebo device without bright light, with the order randomized. Before starting, patients are screened for subclinical inflammation and undergo assessments of diet, fatigue, sleep, quality of life, and disease severity. Wrist actigraphy will be used for 21 days to measure circadian misalignment before therapy initiation. Throughout the study, blood, urine, and stool samples will be collected before and after each treatment period to evaluate markers of inflammation, intestinal permeability, and microbiota changes. Participants will complete questionnaires and wear the wrist device to monitor sleep patterns. The primary outcomes include changes in intestinal permeability and microbiota over 15 weeks. Secondary outcomes assess systemic markers of inflammation and barrier disruption. The total study duration includes screening and two 4-week treatment phases with follow-up for sample collection and assessments.

A Randomized Crossover Trial of Bright Light Therapy in Crohn's Disease on Intestinal Barrier Homeostasis