Phase 2 - Rhythmic Light Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease Patients

NCT ID: NCT05016219

Last Updated: 2025-06-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

120 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-08-22

Study Completion Date

2027-07-31

Brief Summary

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Participants will randomly be placed into one of four groups and experience one of the four following conditions: (1) a placebo light that provides a 40 hertz (Hz) flicker (rhythmic light \[RL\]); (2) a placebo light with a random flicker (placebo condition for rhythmic light); (3) a light source that will stimulate the circadian system and provides a 40 Hz flicker (RL); or (4) a light source that will stimulate the circadian system and provides a random flicker (placebo condition for rhythmic light). Following a baseline week, participants will experience his/her assigned lighting condition for two hours in the morning for 8 weeks. After a 4-week washout period, a final round of assessments will be obtained. Study assessments (except for the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Montreal Cognitive Assessment) will be collected at the end of each week, for a total of 8 assessments.

Detailed Description

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The tailored lighting intervention used to promote circadian entrainment will provide high circadian stimulation during the day produced by narrowband blue light peaking at 470 nanometers (nm). A comparison lighting intervention (i.e., placebo lighting), a narrowband red light peaking at 630 nm, will be used as a control. Both the red and the blue light devices will also provide either the 40 hertz (Hz) flicker (RL) or the random flicker (placebo RL). For the random flicker (placebo RL), the duty cycle will be delivered with a random interval determined by a Poisson process with an average interval of 40 hertz (Hz).

Conditions

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Mild Cognitive Impairment

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Active Intervention plus Active Rhythm

The device will set on a tabletop in a room where the participant spends at least 2 hours in the morning. Using a timer, it will automatically turn on at preferred wakeup times (but no later than 09:00 am) chosen by the participant. Lights will remain on for at least 2 hours and participants will be asked to remain the space that lights are being applied for that period of time.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Circadian-Effective Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Narrowband blue light

Rhythmic Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

40 hertz (Hz) flicker

Active Light plus Placebo Rhythm

The device will set on a tabletop in a room where the participant spends at least 2 hours in the morning. Using a timer, it will automatically turn on at preferred wakeup times (but no later than 09:00 am) chosen by the participant. Lights will remain on for at least 2 hours and participants will be asked to remain the space that lights are being applied for that period of time.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Circadian-Effective Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Narrowband blue light

Placebo Rhythmic Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Random flicker for placebo rhythmic effect

Placebo Light plus Active Rhythm

The device will set on a tabletop in a room where the participant spends at least 2 hours in the morning. Using a timer, it will automatically turn on at preferred wakeup times (but no later than 09:00 am) chosen by the participant. Lights will remain on for at least 2 hours and participants will be asked to remain the space that lights are being applied for that period of time.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Rhythmic Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

40 hertz (Hz) flicker

Placebo Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Narrowband red light

Placebo Light plus Placebo Rhythm

The device will set on a tabletop in a room where the participant spends at least 2 hours in the morning. Using a timer, it will automatically turn on at preferred wakeup times (but no later than 09:00 am) chosen by the participant. Lights will remain on for at least 2 hours and participants will be asked to remain the space that lights are being applied for that period of time.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Narrowband red light

Placebo Rhythmic Light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Random flicker for placebo rhythmic effect

Interventions

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Circadian-Effective Light

Narrowband blue light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Rhythmic Light

40 hertz (Hz) flicker

Intervention Type DEVICE

Placebo Light

Narrowband red light

Intervention Type DEVICE

Placebo Rhythmic Light

Random flicker for placebo rhythmic effect

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

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Active Light

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Participants must be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease, as defined by a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score between 17 and 25;
* Have sleep disturbance indicated by a score \>5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
* Participants must reside in their homes, independent living, or assisted living facilities

Exclusion Criteria

* Participants taking sleep medication
* Residence in a skilled nursing facility or long-term care
* Obstructing cataracts, macular degeneration, and blindness
* Severe sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome
* History of severe epilepsy
Minimum Eligible Age

55 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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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 RECRUITING

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

New York, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Barbara Plitnick, BSN

Role: CONTACT

518-242-4603

Mariana Figueiro, PhD

Role: CONTACT

518-366-9306

Facility Contacts

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Barbara Plitnick, BS

Role: primary

518-242-4603

Mariana Figueiro, PhD

Role: primary

518-366-9306

References

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Rea MS, Figueiro MG, Bullough JD, Bierman A. A model of phototransduction by the human circadian system. Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2005 Dec 15;50(2):213-28. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2005.07.002. Epub 2005 Oct 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16216333 (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)

Rosen WG, Mohs RC, Davis KL. A new rating scale for Alzheimer's disease. Am J Psychiatry. 1984 Nov;141(11):1356-64. doi: 10.1176/ajp.141.11.1356.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6496779 (View on PubMed)

Figueiro MG, Hamner R, Bierman A, Rea MS. Comparisons of three practical field devices used to measure personal light exposures and activity levels. Light Res Technol. 2013 Aug;45(4):421-434. doi: 10.1177/1477153512450453.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24443644 (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)

Hughes CP, Berg L, Danziger WL, Coben LA, Martin RL. A new clinical scale for the staging of dementia. Br J Psychiatry. 1982 Jun;140:566-72. doi: 10.1192/bjp.140.6.566.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7104545 (View on PubMed)

Buysse DJ, Reynolds CF 3rd, Monk TH, Berman SR, Kupfer DJ. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res. 1989 May;28(2):193-213. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2748771 (View on PubMed)

McKhann G, Drachman D, Folstein M, Katzman R, Price D, Stadlan EM. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA Work Group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. Neurology. 1984 Jul;34(7):939-44. doi: 10.1212/wnl.34.7.939.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6610841 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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GCO 21-0378-02

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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