Mild Cognitive ImpairmentNCT07318038
The Use of Rhythmic Light Therapy in Mild Cognitive Impairment
A study testing Flickering Light in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment, run by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
In this within-subjects, crossover study, participants will undergo Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings before, during, and after each of three 1-hour sessions. All participants will experience all three conditions: (1) dual-frequency visual (10 and 40 Hz), (2) single-frequency visual (40 Hz), and (3) non-rhythmic… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 55 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- What is being tested?
- Flickering Light
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 8 Dec 2025to 31 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 55 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- History of Mild Cognitive Impairment with a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score between 18 and 25
Who cannot join
- History of epilepsy or photosensitivity
- Blindness or other obstructive vision conditions
- retinal diseases
- presence of another brain disease accounting for their cognitive status
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, 10029
About this study
In this within-subjects, crossover study, participants will undergo Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings before, during, and after each of three 1-hour sessions. All participants will experience all three conditions: (1) dual-frequency visual (10 and 40 Hz), (2) single-frequency visual (40 Hz), and (3) non-rhythmic stimulation. EEG spectral power and amplitude coupling will be analyzed to determine whether stimulation-induced increases in alpha-gamma neural synchrony translate to improvements in cognitive performance.
- Conditions
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Being tested
- Flickering Light
- Medical subject headings
- Cognitive Dysfunction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Flickering LightDevice
Red Flickering Light programed to three different visual stimulations
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Dual frequency flickering light | Experimental | Light flickering with 10 Hz + 40 Hz visual stimulation Receives: Device: Flickering Light |
| Single frequency flickering light | Experimental | Light flickering with 10 Hz visual stimulation Receives: Device: Flickering Light |
| non-rhythmic flickering light | Placebo comparator | Light flickering with random visual stimulation Receives: Device: Flickering Light |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
EEG-based neural synchrony
Change in spectral power and amplitude in the alpha and gamma EEG bands. Increase in power and amplitude is indicative of increases in neural synchrony.
Measured: 5 minute EEG recording will be done at start, middle and end of each one-hour session, each session separated by one week
Secondary outcomes (1)
Digit Span Task
Change in cognition will be measured by the Digit Span Task which is a working memory task. Increase in accuracy and response time indicates improved cognitive performance.
Digit Span. Memory span is the longest list of items that a person can repeat back in correct order immediately after presentation on 50% of all trials. Items may include words, numbers, or letters. The task is known as digit span when numbers are used. Memory span is a common measure of short-term memory. A digit-span task is used to measure working memory's number storage capacity. The item score is the sum of the scores on the two trials for that item (range=0-2). The total raw score for backwards digit span is the sum of the item scores; maximum backwards digit span total raw score is 16 points. Higher score indicates better health outcomes.
Measured: Completed at start and end of each one-hour session, each session will be separated by one week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Jan 2026
- Study start8 Dec 2025
- Primary completion31 Mar 2026
- Study completion31 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Mild Cognitive ImpairmentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mariana Figueiro, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Investigators
- Mariana Figueiro, PhD, Principal investigator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07318038
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY-25-01233
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 25 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: As the primary outcome measure of this study is EEG recordings, individual results will not be shared.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Use of Rhythmic Light Therapy in Mild Cognitive Impairment
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07318038
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STUDY-25-01233
- Conditions
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 8 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In this within-subjects, crossover study, participants will undergo Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings before, during, and after each of three 1-hour sessions. All participants will experience all three conditions: (1) dual-frequency visual (10 and 40 Hz), (2) single-frequency visual (40 Hz), and (3) non-rhythmic stimulation. EEG spectral power and amplitude coupling will be analyzed to determine whether stimulation-induced increases in alpha-gamma neural synchrony translate to improvements in cognitive performance.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Dual frequency flickering light | Experimental | Device: Flickering LightLight flickering with 10 Hz + 40 Hz visual stimulation |
| Single frequency flickering light | Experimental | Device: Flickering LightLight flickering with 10 Hz visual stimulation |
| non-rhythmic flickering light | Placebo comparator | Device: Flickering LightLight flickering with random visual stimulation |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 55 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- History of Mild Cognitive Impairment with a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score between 18 and 25
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- History of epilepsy or photosensitivity
- Blindness or other obstructive vision conditions
- retinal diseases
- presence of another brain disease accounting for their cognitive status
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Flickering LightRed Flickering Light programed to three different visual stimulations | Device | Dual frequency flickering light, Single frequency flickering light, non-rhythmic flickering light |
Primary outcome
EEG-based neural synchrony
Time frame: 5 minute EEG recording will be done at start, middle and end of each one-hour session, each session separated by one week
Change in spectral power and amplitude in the alpha and gamma EEG bands. Increase in power and amplitude is indicative of increases in neural synchrony.
1 secondary outcome
Digit Span Task
Time frame: Completed at start and end of each one-hour session, each session will be separated by one week
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. As the primary outcome measure of this study is EEG recordings, individual results will not be shared.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Mariana Figueiro, PhD principal investigator
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Flickering Light in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment, run by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 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 1 inclusion and 4 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 25 Jun 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
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?
EEG-based neural synchrony (time frame: 5 minute EEG recording will be done at start, middle and end of each one-hour session, each session separated by one week). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 25 Jun 2026.