Rhythmic Light Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease Patients

NCT ID: NCT05015478

Last Updated: 2024-12-03

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

52 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-01-10

Study Completion Date

2023-07-12

Brief Summary

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The investigator will investigate how light delivering 40 hertz (Hz) affects subjective sleep and cognition in a controlled laboratory study. A lab study will allow the collection of electroencephalogram (EEG) data, perform cognitive tests, and observe the response in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to a healthy control group (HC).

Participants will attend two study sessions over the course of two weeks. During both sessions, all participants will experience 10 minutes of a low-level light, followed by a data collection period which involves a sleepiness rating, an electroencephalogram (EEG) recording, and a computerized memory test. Participants will then experience either a RL or a placebo RL condition for one hour, after which there will be a second data collection.

Detailed Description

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The investigator will demonstrate the effect of 40 hertz (Hz) rhythmic light (RL) to promote gamma wave entrainment (rhythmic light \[RL\]) on: brain response (electroencephalography \[EEG\]); cognitive performance (working memory task); and subjective sleepiness (questionnaires). The study will recruit 20 adult mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients and 20 healthy, age-matched controls (HC) to participate in this study.

Sessions will initiate with a 10-minute adaptation period to a low-level ambient light providing illuminance of 15 lux at participants' eye level on a vertical plane, followed by a pre-exposure data collection period, including Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), EEG, and a working memory task. Participants will experience either 40 Hz RL or placebo RL conditions for a duration of 1 hour, followed by the second data collection period. On the second data collection day, participants will experience the other condition, so that all participants experience both lighting conditions. The experimental sessions will start at 14:00 on each experimental day which will be separated by 1 week.

Conditions

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Mild Cognitive Impairment

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Active Tailored Rhythmic Lighting then Inactive Placebo Rhythmic Lighting

1. hour intervention period where active lighting is experienced by participants. then 1 hour intervention period where an inactive, placebo lighting condition is experienced by participants.
2. sessions, 1 week apart

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Tailored Rhythmic Lighting Intervention

Intervention Type DEVICE

40 hertz (Hz) rhythmic lighting (RL) for a duration of 1 hour. The flicker frequency of the 40 Hz RL will be 40 Hz and the stimulation will be a square wave with a 50 % duty cycle (i.e., 12.5 milliseconds light- on and 12.5 milliseconds light-off). The RL will provide a 30 lux of red light on a vertical plane at the eye level.

Inactive Placebo Rhythmic Lighting then Active Tailored Rhythmic Lighting

1. hour intervention period where an inactive, placebo lighting condition is experienced by participants. then 1 hour intervention period where active lighting is experienced by participants.
2. sessions, 1 week apart

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo Rhythmic Lighting Intervention

Intervention Type DEVICE

Placebo rhythmic light (RL) for a duration of 1 hour. In the placebo RL condition, the duty cycle will be delivered at randomly varying frequencies of 20 Hz and 50 Hz, specifically avoiding the frequency of 40 Hz. The placebo RL conditions will provide a 30 lux of red light on a vertical plane at the eye level.

Interventions

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Tailored Rhythmic Lighting Intervention

40 hertz (Hz) rhythmic lighting (RL) for a duration of 1 hour. The flicker frequency of the 40 Hz RL will be 40 Hz and the stimulation will be a square wave with a 50 % duty cycle (i.e., 12.5 milliseconds light- on and 12.5 milliseconds light-off). The RL will provide a 30 lux of red light on a vertical plane at the eye level.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Placebo Rhythmic Lighting Intervention

Placebo rhythmic light (RL) for a duration of 1 hour. In the placebo RL condition, the duty cycle will be delivered at randomly varying frequencies of 20 Hz and 50 Hz, specifically avoiding the frequency of 40 Hz. The placebo RL conditions will provide a 30 lux of red light on a vertical plane at the eye level.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Participants must be diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease, as defined by a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score between 17 and 25
* For the age-matched healthy controls, participants must not be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease related dementias (MoCA score above 25).
* Participants must score a 5 or less in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

Exclusion Criteria

* All participants must not be taking sleeping medication or oral melatonin
* Presence of another brain disease that fully explains the dementia (extensive brain vascular disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, traumatic brain injury, or multiple sclerosis)
* residence in a skilled nursing facility or long-term care
* Major organ failure (e.g., kidney failure)
* Uncontrolled generalized disorders such as hypertension or diabetes
* Obstructing cataracts, macular degeneration, and blindness
* Severe sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome
* History of epilepsy
Minimum Eligible Age

55 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Mariana Figueiro

Professor, Population Health Science and Policy

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Mariana Figueiro, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Locations

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Light and Health Research Center

Menands, New York, United States

Site Status

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

New York, New York, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Akerstedt T, Gillberg M. Subjective and objective sleepiness in the active individual. Int J Neurosci. 1990 May;52(1-2):29-37. doi: 10.3109/00207459008994241.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2265922 (View on PubMed)

Nasreddine ZS, Phillips NA, Bedirian V, Charbonneau S, Whitehead V, Collin I, Cummings JL, Chertkow H. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA: a brief screening tool for mild cognitive impairment. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Apr;53(4):695-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53221.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15817019 (View on PubMed)

Buysse DJ, Reynolds CF 3rd, Monk TH, Hoch CC, Yeager AL, Kupfer DJ. Quantification of subjective sleep quality in healthy elderly men and women using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Sleep. 1991 Aug;14(4):331-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1947597 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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5R01AG072762

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

GCO 21-0378-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id