Bright Light Therapy for Depressed Geriatric Inpatients

Part of paid clinical trials in Charleston, South Carolina.

Sponsor
Medical University of South Carolina
Study ID
NCT07002554
Phase
PHASE2
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

  • Unipolar Depression

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
60 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Bright light therapy — DEVICE
    the Verilux® HappyLight® Lumi Plus light therapy box, which delivers UV-free, full-spectrum LED light at an intensity of 10,000 lux
  • dim red light — DEVICE
    The control group will use the same light box device, configured to emit dim red light. This will be achieved by setting the box to its lowest brightness setting and overlaying a translucent red filter over the light display. This setup is intended to maintain the appearance and experience of light exposure while minimizing any therapeutic effect.

Study Details

Bright light therapy has been shown to be effective for the treatment of both seasonal and non-seasonal unipolar depression as well as bipolar depression, primarily in outpatients under the age of 60. There is a dearth of studies exploring the efficacy of this treatment modality among elderly depressed inpatients, which is our study population.

Key Dates

Start date
Nov 14, 2025
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2027
Completion
Jul 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
20 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Bright light therapy
    Participants in the intervention group will receive bright light therapy (BLT) consisting of 10,000 lux of bright white light administered for 30 minutes each morning, ideally within 30 minutes of awakening. Participants in both arms will continue to receive other treatment as usual (group therapy and medication management) as deemed appropriate by their treating clinicians.
  • Sham Comparator: Dim Red light
    Participants in the control group will receive a placebo condition using an identical light box fitted with a translucent red screen to emit dim red light at an intensity of less than 2,500 lux, which lacks efficacy for depression treatment based on prior research. Participants in both arms will continue to receive other treatment as usual (group therapy and medication management) as deemed appropriate by their treating clinicians.

Primary Outcome Measure

Study completion rate [ Time Frame: Up to week 6 (Upon time of discharge from inpatient unit) ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Medical University of South Carolina Institute of Psychiatry Senior Care UnitCharlestonSouth Carolina29425-

Find similar trials in Charleston, SC

By research site
Medical University of South Carolina Institute of Psychiatry Senior Care Unit· Charleston, SC

Related Studies