- Membership & Community
-
Publications & News
- Journals
-
Newsroom
-
The Physiologist Magazine
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- In Depth
-
Mentoring Forum
- Net Worth
- Take Care
- You … In Charge
- Work. It. Out.
- Working Off-site
- Location, Location, Location?
- Student Support
- Progressing to Postdoc
- Relationship Building
- Let’s Get It Started
- What Do We Value?
- It’s a Postdoc Life
- Coronavirus Contributions
- Creative Communications
- Selection Process
- Conference Connections
- Postdoc Appreciation
- Research Rewards
- Focus on Teaching
- Industry Insights
- Balance Beam
- Post Postdoc
- If You Build It
- Talk It Through
- Forward Bound
- I’ve Earned My PhD. Now What?
- University Life
- Tips for Trainees
- Time Travel
- Policy IQ
- Publish with Polish
- Under the Microscope
- Mentoring Q&A
- The Physiologist Magazine Readers Survey
- Evolution
- Baseline by Scott Steen, CAE, FASAE
- Find Us on Social Media
-
The Physiologist Magazine
-
Professional Development
-
Meetings & Events
-
American Physiology Summit
- #APS2024 Overview
- Abstracts
- Awards at the Summit
- Award Lectures
- Career Networking Lunch Form
- Dates and Deadlines
- Hotel Information
- Industry Partners
- Keynote Speaker—Brian Kobilka, MD
- Keynote Speaker—Jessica Meir, PhD
- Mobile App
- NIH and NSF Program Officer Panel Discussion Form
- Off-site Summit Meetups
- Physical Poster Information
- PhysioHub
- Pre-Summit Events
- Registration
- Section & Group Banquet Tickets
- Speaker Audiovisual Instructions
- Summit FAQs
- Summit Newsroom
- Summit Store
- Travel & Transportation
- Undergraduate Program Book
- Liability Waiver
- Summit Call for Proposals
- Industry Partners
- Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award Orientation Agenda
- Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award Networking Luncheon Agenda
- Women in Physiology Networking Event Agenda
-
2023
- APS 2023 Call for Proposals
- Shocklogic Test
- Team 2023 Task Force
- Shaping the Summit
- Schedule at a Glance
- Pre-Summit Events
- Pre-Summit Center for Physiology Education Workshop Registration
- Section & Groups Banquet Tickets
- Summit Store
- Pre-Summit Center for Physiology Education Workshop
- Press Registration
- Meet the Organizers
- Keynote Speaker—Terrie Williams, PhD
- Keynote Speaker—David Julius, PhD
- Industry Workshop Information
- Important Dates and Deadlines
- Hotel Information
- Game Changers
- Distinguished Lecturers
- Building APS 2023
- Awards at the Summit
- 2023 Summit Information
- American Physiology Summit Program
- 2023 Summit Newsroom
- 2024
- Scientific Integrity Policy
- Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference
- From Concept to Classroom
- Webinars
- Related Meetings
- Future APS Conferences
-
Past APS Conferences
- APS Institute on Teaching and Learning
- Integrative Physiology of Exercise
- Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin (ET-17)
- New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine
- APS Institute on Teaching and Learning (2022)
- Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease Conference
- Comparative Physiology: From Organisms to Omics in an Uncertain World
- Conference Policies
-
American Physiology Summit
- Awards
-
Career & Professional Development
-
Career Gateway
-
Resources
- Transcript—Leading Through Conflict and Difficult Conversations
- Transcript—Managing Conflict with Colleagues
- Transcript—Leading a Team Through Conflict
- Transcript—Providing Difficult Feedback
- Transcript—Team Dynamics and Culture Primer
- Transcript—Building a Team
- Transcript—Leading a Team Assigned to You
- Transcript—Creating a Team Culture
-
Resources
- Career Navigator
- Center for Physiology Education
- Job Board
- Mentoring
- APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
-
Career Gateway
-
Meetings & Events
-
Advocacy & Resources
- Policy Areas
-
Resources
- Researcher Resources
- Educator Resources
- Trainee Resources
- Student Resources
-
APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
- Augusta University
- Des Moines University
- East Tennessee State University
- George Washington University
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences—Biomedical Engineering & Physiology
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Michigan State University
- New York Medical College
- Nova Southeastern University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Saint Louis University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M University Medical Physiology
- Stony Brook University
- The University of Iowa
- The University of Mississippi Medical Center
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University at Buffalo
- University of Colorado
- University of Delaware
- University of Florida
- University of Louisville
- University of Michigan
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri-Biomedical Sciences
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
- University of Oregon
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)
- University of Texas Health Science Center
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Wayne State University
- Wake Forest University
- Physiology Department Catalog Submission Form
- Career Gateway
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Advocacy
- About APS
Lightbox improves cognitive function and mood in veterans with TBI, pilot study finds
Rockville, Md. (April 27, 2021)—A new study by researchers at the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon found that augmenting traditional treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) with morning bright light therapy (MBLT) improved physical and mental symptoms for participants. The team will present their work virtually at the American Physiological Society’s (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2021.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), over 185,000 veterans have been diagnosed with at least one TBI. TBI is both a common and complex injury. Because of the circumstances surrounding the brain injury, TBI frequently coincides with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive and memory impairments and poor sleep quality often result from these paired conditions. Unfortunately, the current treatment methods for TBI, which focus on improving the cognitive symptoms, have inconsistent results.
Noting the reciprocal relationship between sleep disruption and cognitive function, the research team focused on addressing the sleep quality in the experimental group. Over the course of eight weeks, one group received group cognitive therapy, while the other received cognitive therapy as well as 60 minutes of MBLT within two hours of waking each day.
The MBLT group reported improvements to cognitive function, sleep, depression and neuropsychiatric trauma symptoms. The traditional therapy group did not report improvements in any of these areas.
Jonathan Elliott, PhD, a member of the research team, said that the study “demonstrates a highly feasible mechanism to improve cognitive function and the efficacy of [current treatment] … and ultimately overall quality of life in U.S. veterans.”
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, or to request the abstract, “Morning bright light therapy for sleep to augment cognitive rehabilitation in veterans with comorbid traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder: A pilot study,” please contact the APS Communications Office or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in the APS Newsroom.
About Experimental Biology 2021
Experimental Biology is the annual meeting of five societies that explores the latest research in physiology, anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, investigative pathology and pharmacology. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for global exchange among scientists who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research.
About the American Physiological Society
Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.
Related Content
- Prebiotics Could Help Space Travelers Stay Healthy
- Robert Carroll Receives Inaugural APS Presidential Outstanding Service Award at American Physiology Summit
- Got 10 Minutes? That’s All You Need for this High-intensity Workout
- Self-reported Daytime Sleepiness Is Associated with Telomere Shortening
- Extracellular Vesicles Could Be a Marker for Lung Disease Severity in Premature Infants
- Exposure to Roundup® Extends Seizure-like Behavior in Roundworms
- Metformin Cuts Insulin Resistance and Chances of Kidney Disease in Young, Obese Rats
Contact Us
For questions, comments or to share your story ideas, email us or call 301.634.7314.