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DepressionNCT05823090

Light Therapy for Depression in Adolescent Outpatients

A study testing light box (Carex DayLight Classic Model) in people with Depression and Adolescent - Emotional Problem, run by Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this placebo lead-in clinical trial was to test bright light therapy (BLT) in adolescents with depression. The main question[s] it aimed to answer were: 1. characterize and define facilitators/barriers to treatment with BLT in adolescents); 2. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 12 to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Depression, Adolescent - Emotional Problem
What is being tested?
light box (Carex DayLight Classic Model)
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
9 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
21 Dec 2021to 8 Nov 2022
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 12 to 18 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Participants with depression and elevated scores on youth screening measures, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 (≥ 9) or PHQ-2 (≥ 3).
  • English-speaking primary caregiver legally able to provide consent and who could contribute weekly mood ratings.

Who cannot join

  • Current or past diagnoses of bipolar disorder, moderate to severe autism, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder, or intellectual disability; a major medical illness or ocular condition (e.g. glaucoma, retinal disease, macular degeneration) that would interfere with participation in the study; significant and imminent risk to self or to others; concurrent
  • Recent (<4 months) medication or new (< 3 months) psychotherapy treatment for depression
  • Current use of melatonin, beta-blockers, chloroquine, or regular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, or St. John's Wort.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Rachel Ballard

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Light Therapy for Depression in Adolescent Outpatients: A Placebo lead-in Clinical Trial

The goal of this placebo lead-in clinical trial was to test bright light therapy (BLT) in adolescents with depression. The main question[s] it aimed to answer were:

  1. characterize and define facilitators/barriers to treatment with BLT in adolescents);
  2. evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of outpatient BLT in a dose titration protocol;
  3. establish an effective, safe and tolerable light dose.
Read the detailed description

This outpatient study was performed at Ann \& Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The Institutional Review Boards (IRB) of Lurie Children's Hospital and Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine approved the protocol. Participants were recruited through partnering community pediatric practices (namely Lake Forest Pediatrics). Primary care pediatricians referred potential participants with depression and elevated scores on youth screening measures, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (≥ 9) or PHQ-2 (≥ 3), without endorsed suicidality.

Light Therapy Protocol with Placebo Lead-in. Eligible participants were provided a light box and an actigraphy wrist watch and given instructions on the use of each. The active light box (Carex DayLight Classic Model) is a white fluorescent 4000 Kelvin unit that emits 10,000 lux and measures 33cm x 40cm. The placebo box emits 50 lux dim red light and appears identical to the active unit. Dim red light was selected because the illumination is a plausible placebo in clinical trials of BLT for depressive disorders and produces negligible effects on circadian rhythms and mood responses. Subjects were instructed to position themselves 30-36 cm from the box with their faces fully exposed to the light. The actigraphy device is a Philips Spectrum Plus actigraphy watch which collects activity level and sleep information along with multiple light measurements and wearer adherence. The light therapy dosing protocol was planned as follows: Weeks 0-2, 50 lux dim red light (DRL) x 30 minutes/day; weeks 3-4, 10,000 lux x 15 minutes/day; weeks 5-6, 10,000 lux x 30 minutes/day; weeks 6-8, 10,000 lux x 45 minutes/day. At week 2, the study coordinator (KJ) dispensed the 10,000 lux BLT unit (and picked up the dim red light box) and the actigraph watch. Participants and their parent/guardian met with 2 study clinicians at the end of each 2-week period. One study clinician (RB or JP), who was blinded to the participant's light box use, conducted a brief interview regarding mood, safety and functioning, and assigned a Clinical Global Impressions Scale-Severity (CGI-S). The other study clinician (DKS) subsequently met with the participant to review safety, side effects and response and made recommendations on duration and timing of light box use based on level of improvement and any barriers to use. Thus, some patients did not receive the above dosing schedule. After the 8-week active study period, participants who had symptom remission were given the option to keep the light box and continue use. A treatment summary and ongoing treatment recommendations were provided to all participant's primary care clinicians.

Adherence. The study coordinator made weekly calls/texts to participants to inquire about their daily exposure times and to encourage proper adherence. The constraints imposed upon adolescents by schools (early morning start times by 8:00 AM), bus commutes (pick up by 7:30 AM), after school activities and part-time jobs (landscaping etc.) are considerable. Knowing this and to avoid forcing adolescents to wake earlier than preferred (which can produce detrimental effects on adolescent sleep and mood) to use the study light box, participants agreed to initiate BLT exposure in the morning at awakening in accordance to the dosing protocol. At follow up visits, the non-blind clinician systematically explored whether morning use remained feasible and acceptable. If not, the clinician made informed clinical recommendations and recorded adjustments to the time-of-day of use (midday or afternoon) to ensure participants were able to consistently use the box. This strategy informed investigators and participants of the optimal timing of light exposure, increased adherence and strengthened the reliability of detecting response.

Actigraphic Assessments. Actigraphy using a wrist actigraph with a light sensor (Actiwatch Spectrum, Philips Respironics Healthcare, Bend, OR, USA) was used to measure a number of actigraphic-derived sleep, circadian, activity and light variables during the placebo and active light treatment phases.

Being tested
light box (Carex DayLight Classic Model)
Keywords
light therapy
Medical subject headings
Depression

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • light box (Carex DayLight Classic Model)Device

    The active light box is a white fluorescent 4000 Kelvin unit that emits 10,000 lux and measures 33cm x 40cm. The placebo box emits 50 lux dim red light and appears identical to the active unit. Subjects were instructed to position themselves 30-36 cm from the box with their faces fully exposed to the light. The actigraphy device is a Phillips Spectrum Plus Actigraphy watch which collects activity level and sleep information along with multiple light measurements and wearer adherence.

Study groups in NCT05823090
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Bright light therapyExperimentalEligible participants were provided a light box and an actigraphy wrist-watch and given instructions on the use of each. The light therapy dosing protocol was planned as follows: Weeks 0-2, 50 lux dim red light (DRL) x 15 30 minutes/day; weeks 3-4, 10,000 lux x 15 minutes/day; weeks 5-6, 10,000 lux x 30 minutes/day; weeks 6-8, 10,000 lux x 45 minutes/day. At week 2, the study coordinator dispensed the 10,000 lux BLT unit (and picked up the DRL box) and the actigraphy watch. Participants and their parent/guardian met with 2 study clinicians at the end of each 2-week period. One study clinician, who was blinded to the participant's light box use, conducted a brief interview regarding mood, safety and functioning and side effects. The other study clinician subsequently met with the participant to review safety, side effects and response and made recommendations on duration and timing of light box use based on level of improvement and any barriers to use.
Receives: Device: light box (Carex DayLight Classic Model)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Depression Severity

    Depression severity measured by the following:

    Child and Parent Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) (Messer et al., 1995). The SMFQ (13 items) has good internal consistency (α = .92) (Eyre et al., 2021). Units of measurement range from (0-26 with, 0 = No severity and symptomology, 26 = extreme severity and symptomology)

    Clinician Reported Clinical Global Impression-Improvement and Severity Rating Scales (CGI-S) (Guy, 1976) The CGI-S measures provides a global rating of severity of the participant's anxiety disorder. The ratings were made by an Independent Evaluation on a 1 (not at all ill) to 7 (extremely ill) scale. Scores of 1 or 2 reflect minimal symptoms; scores of 1 or 2 are considered remission status and higher scores (3-7) as not in remission.

    Measured: Baseline to week 2, week 8

  2. Adherence to BLT in Adolescent Outpatients With Depression

    The participation rate (%) defined as daily use of the light therapy box.

    Measured: 8 week study period (measured at Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8)

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Change in Anxiety With BLT

    Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED).(Birmaher et al., 1997) The SCARED is a 41-item child- and parent-measure of child anxiety symptoms that includes a total anxiety scale and subscales of Separation Anxiety (SEP), Generalized Anxiety (GAD), Social Anxiety (SOC), Panic/Somatic symptoms, and School Avoidance. The internal consistency of the SCARED total score was α = .94.(Muris \& Steerneman, 2001)

    Scale of Child Anxiety Related Disorders scale (score ranges from 0-82, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes).

    Measured: Baseline to study week 8

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Apr 2023
  2. Study start21 Dec 2021
  3. Primary completion8 Nov 2022
  4. Study completion8 Nov 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
placebo lead-in open trial
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
9 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05823090
Sponsor's protocol ID
2021-4706
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
27 Mar 2023
Last updated
6 Oct 2026
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
Individual data sharing
No: The investigators do not plan to share individual participant data with other researchers.

Publications

  • Oren DA, Brainard GC, Johnston SH, Joseph-Vanderpool JR, Sorek E, Rosenthal NE. Treatment of seasonal affective disorder with green light and red light. Am J Psychiatry. 1991 Apr;148(4):509-11. doi: 10.1176/ajp.148.4.509.

    PubMed 2006698
  • Sit DK, McGowan J, Wiltrout C, Diler RS, Dills JJ, Luther J, Yang A, Ciolino JD, Seltman H, Wisniewski SR, Terman M, Wisner KL. Adjunctive Bright Light Therapy for Bipolar Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2018 Feb 1;175(2):131-139. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16101200. Epub 2017 Oct 3.

    PubMed 28969438
  • Wirz-Justice A, Bader A, Frisch U, Stieglitz RD, Alder J, Bitzer J, Hosli I, Jazbec S, Benedetti F, Terman M, Wisner KL, Riecher-Rossler A. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of light therapy for antepartum depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Jul;72(7):986-93. doi: 10.4088/JCP.10m06188blu. Epub 2011 Apr 5.

    PubMed 21535997
  • Garbazza C, Cirignotta F, D'Agostino A, Cicolin A, Hackethal S, Wirz-Justice A, Cajochen C, Manconi M; "Life-ON" study group. Sustained remission from perinatal depression after bright light therapy: A pilot randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2022 Oct;146(4):350-356. doi: 10.1111/acps.13482. Epub 2022 Aug 3.

    PubMed 35876837
  • Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.

    PubMed 11556941

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing light box (Carex DayLight Classic Model) in people with Depression and Adolescent - Emotional Problem, run by Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 6 Oct 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Depression Severity (time frame: Baseline to week 2, week 8). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05823090, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Oct 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 26 Oct 2026.

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