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Business Weekly: Lumie Throws New Light on Huntington’s Disease Research

April 23, 2016

Cambridge-based light therapy specialist Lumie is supplying some of its lamps for use in a research study into Huntington’s disease being conducted by the School of Clinical Medicine’s Neurology Unit at Cambridge University.

Twenty-four of Lumie’s most powerful light boxes, Lumie Brazil, are being donated to the research project that will examine the efficacy and tolerability of to improve the life and sleep quality of people who have Huntington’s disease.

One of these interventions is bright light therapy, the other being sleep restriction therapy.

The project is due to start in April 2016 and is expected to take eight months to complete. Huntington’s disease is caused by an inherited faulty gene that damages certain nerve cells in the brain. This brain damage gets progressively worse over time and can affect movement, cognition (perception, awareness, thinking, judgement) and behaviour.

Early features can include personality changes, mood swings, fidgety movements, irritability and altered behaviour, although these are often overlooked and attributed to something else.

Currently there’s no cure for Huntington’s disease and its progress can’t be reversed or slowed down. UK research carried out in 2012 found the actual figure for those affected by the condition to be about 12 people per 100,000.

Cambridge-based Lumie is a light therapy specialist whose products are said to be proven to promote a healthy sleep/wake cycle by regulating the body clock as well as helping users feel more energetic and productive throughout the day.

Lumie Brazil offers a much higher light intensity than standard lighting, emitting 10,000 lux at 35cms. To put that in context, on a bright day but not in direct sunlight the level of brightness ranges from 10,000 to 25,000 lux while in direct sunlight that goes up from 32,000 to 100,000 lux.

Bright light has been shown to have an immediate impact, increasing levels of alertness, boosting mood and improving performance.

Thanks to Business Weekly UK for this article. Read more here.

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