Different light color temperatures in the morning on the effectiveness of rehabilitation training in patients with ischemic stroke: a prospective, single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial.
Nan Wang, Yan Xue, Tongyue Wang and 10 others
PMID 40660285WHAT IT FOUND
Morning exposure to cold light (6500 K) during rehabilitation improved neurological function, sleep quality, and physical health scores in stroke patients compared to warm or standard light.
Warm light showed no benefit over standard conditions. The effect was seen after four weeks of morning sessions.
Key findings
01Patients in the cold light group showed a significant reduction in NIHSS scores (neurological impairment) compared to baseline, while the control and warm light groups did not.
02Sleep quality improved significantly in the cold light group (SRSS score reduction of 5.50 points), which was a larger improvement than in the warm light or control groups.
03Physical health-related quality of life (SF-36 PCS) improved in the cold light group but worsened in the control and warm light groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was single-center and had a small sample size (48 completers), which may limit generalizability. Patients and therapists were not blinded to the light condition, which could influence subjective outcomes like sleep quality and quality of life ratings. The intervention lasted only four weeks, so long-term effects are unknown. The study excluded patients with severe stroke (NIHSS > 20) or those unable to walk, so findings do not apply to the most severely impaired patients.
Declared interests
The study was funded by various Shanghai municipal health and rehabilitation bodies. No commercial conflicts of interest were declared, though the lighting equipment was customized by a commercial entity (Shanghai keey group co.,ltd).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that warm light is beneficial for stroke recovery based on general wellness trends; in this trial, warm light (3000 K) performed no better than standard control lighting for neurological or physical outcomes, and both groups worsened on physical quality of life scores compared to the cold light group.