Bright Light: A Novel Treatment for Anxiety

Depression Clinical Trial

Official title:

Bright Light: A Novel Treatment for Anxiety

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01064700
• Other study ID #: HSA-3469
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Start date: October 2006
• Est. completion date: December 2007

Study information

• Verified date: April 2021
• Source: University of South Carolina
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The primary aim of this research was to examine the influence of bright light on anxiety in high-anxious young adults. In an acute exposure study, participants were randomly assigned to 45 min of either (1) bright light (3,000 lux) or (2) a placebo inactivated negative ion generator. Treatments were initiated ≤1 hr after awakening. At 10 min before and 30 min after the treatments, state anxiety, mood, and blood pressure were assessed.

Following the acute exposure study, participants performed a 5-week study. Following a a 1-week baseline, participants were randomly assigned to four weeks of daily exposure to either (1) bright light (45 min/day; 3,000 lux) or (2) placebo inactivated negative ion generator, which were initiated ≤1 hr after awakening. Before and after the experiment, clinical ratings were conducted with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the Hamilton Depression Scale, and the Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI). Following baseline, and following each week of treatment, blood pressure, as well as questionnaires for state anxiety, depression, mood, sleep, and side effects were assessed.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 33
• Est. completion date: December 2007
• Est. primary completion date: December 2007
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 35 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having a level of trait anxiety [Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y1)]{23642} that was = the 75th percentile for their age (i.e., = 46 and = 44 for women and men, respectively)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current treatment for anxiety or depression;

• History of bipolar disorder, mania, or psychotic disorders;

• History of winter depression, which might bias towards positive response to light;

• Hypertension;

• Ophthalmic abnormalities; and

• Usual exposure to high levels of light such that the intervention would add little to usual exposure.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anxiety
• Anxiety Disorders
• Depression
• Sleep

Intervention

Device:
• Litebook Bright Light Box
Four weeks of daily exposure to bright light (3,000 lux) for 45 min/day, beginning within 60 min of arising.
• Litebook inactivated negation ion generator (the placebo)
Four weeks of daily exposure to inactivated negative ion generator for 45 min/day, beginning within 60 min of arising

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Chronobiology Lab, University of South Carolina	Columbia	South Carolina

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of South Carolina	Liteboook Company

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory	state anxiety questionnaire	5 weeks
Primary	Hamilton Anxiety	Hamilton Anxiety Questionnaire	5 weeks
Secondary	Beck Depression Inventory	self-report depression questionnaire	5 weeks
Secondary	Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory	PSQI, a common sleep quality questionnaire	5 weeks