Alzheimer's DiseaseNCT02502045
Effect of Therapeutic Light on Sleep, Circadian Rhythm, and Global Function in Women With Alzheimer's
A study testing Morning Simulated Sunlight and Non-therapeutic Red Light in people with Alzheimer's Disease, run by Yale University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Determine effect and duration of effect of timed therapeutic light compared to control light on parameters of circadian rhythmicity, physiologic plasticity, sleep, and global function in women with Alzheimer's Disease. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 65 years and older, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Alzheimer's Disease
- What is being tested?
- Morning Simulated Sunlight and Non-therapeutic Red Light
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 18 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- May 2012to Jan 2016
- 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 65 years and older
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- baseline sleep efficiency index < .85
- Mini-Mental State Exam-2 Standard Version (MMSE-2:SV) score of 0-20
- be medically stable
Who cannot join
- received light treatment in last 3 months
- are totally blind in both eyes, have photosensitivity or photophobia, Parkinsons disease, known untreated sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, seizure disorder, bipolar, schizophrenia, are actively receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Botsford Continuing Care
Farmington Hills, Michigan, 48336
About this study
Official title: A Study to Examine the Effect of Therapeutic Light on Sleep, Circadian Rhythm, and Global Function in Women With Alzheimer's Disease
Determine effect and duration of effect of timed therapeutic light compared to control light on parameters of circadian rhythmicity, physiologic plasticity, sleep, and global function in women with Alzheimer's Disease.
Read the detailed description
The impact of disturbed sleep on cognition and functional domains is vitally important to study in order to increase our understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) phenomenology. Research has shown that the severity of sleep disturbance and dementia advance in parallel and possibly in a manner amenable to therapeutic intervention. In AD, sleep disruption is characterized by changes in sleep architecture. It is our contention that neuropathology specific to AD alters the circadian system at the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Environmental light is the most powerful regulator of this circadian system,4,5 and is known to have a significant regulatory effect on pineal melatonin synthesis and secretion via the SCN and multisynaptic pathways downstream from the SCN. This study will explore further the efficacy of a particular type of therapeutic light intervention in regulating the circadian system in AD, using data analytic methods capable of detecting changes at multiple time scales. Our central hypothesis is that properly-timed light exposure in individuals with AD will synchronize disorganized circadian and sleep-wake rhythms and improve functional plasticity [approximate entropy (ApEn), fractal dimension (FD)], thereby resulting in increased sleep efficiency (SE), reductions in sleep fragmentation (SF), reduced excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and dementia-related behaviors, and improvements in cognition and other daytime behaviors. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to develop AD due to longer life expectance and emerging evidence. In light of this increased risk and also to enhance other aspects of biological uniformity in our study, this project will investigate women with AD.
- Conditions
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Being tested
- Morning Simulated Sunlight, Non-therapeutic Red Light
- Medical subject headings
- Alzheimer Disease
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Morning Simulated SunlightDevice
Timed morning simulated sunlight (Philips Wake Up Light, Model HF3520) peaking at 300 lux delivered over a 40 minute ramp between 5-9 a.m. for 14 consecutive days
Non-therapeutic Red LightDevice
Non-therapeutic red light control at 5 lux will be used as the control condition
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Simulated Sunlight | Experimental | Timed morning simulated sunlight (Philips Wake Up Light, Model HF3520) peaking at 300 lux delivered over a 40 minute ramp between 5-9 a.m. for 14 consecutive days. A flexible window of has been allowed to accommodate participants and care routines. Receives: Device: Morning Simulated Sunlight |
| Non-Therapeutic Red Light | Placebo comparator | Non-therapeutic red light control at 5 lux will be used as the control condition Receives: Device: Non-therapeutic Red Light |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in sleep characteristics
Change in sleep characteristics and rest-activity rhythm after 2 weeks of light therapy as measured by actigraphy
Measured: 2 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Jul 2015 (estimated)
- Study startMay 2012
- Primary completionJan 2016
- Study completionJan 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Alzheimer's DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Yale UniversityThe 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Yale University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- LuAnn Etcher, PhD, Principal investigator, Yale University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02502045
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1310012895
- Status last verified
- Feb 2017
- First submitted
- 16 Jul 2015
- Last updated
- 20 Feb 2017
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Feb 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Study to Examine the Effect of Therapeutic Light on Sleep, Circadian Rhythm, and Global Function in Women With Alzheimer's Disease
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02502045
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1310012895
- Conditions
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Yale UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- May 2012
- Primary completion
- Jan 2016 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jan 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 17 Jul 2015 (estimated)
- 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.
Determine effect and duration of effect of timed therapeutic light compared to control light on parameters of circadian rhythmicity, physiologic plasticity, sleep, and global function in women with Alzheimer's Disease.
Detailed description
The impact of disturbed sleep on cognition and functional domains is vitally important to study in order to increase our understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) phenomenology. Research has shown that the severity of sleep disturbance and dementia advance in parallel and possibly in a manner amenable to therapeutic intervention. In AD, sleep disruption is characterized by changes in sleep architecture. It is our contention that neuropathology specific to AD alters the circadian system at the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Environmental light is the most powerful regulator of this circadian system,4,5 and is known to have a significant regulatory effect on pineal melatonin synthesis and secretion via the SCN and multisynaptic pathways downstream from the SCN. This study will explore further the efficacy of a particular type of therapeutic light intervention in regulating the circadian system in AD, using data analytic methods capable of detecting changes at multiple time scales. Our central hypothesis is that properly-timed light exposure in individuals with AD will synchronize disorganized circadian and sleep-wake rhythms and improve functional plasticity [approximate entropy (ApEn), fractal dimension (FD)], thereby resulting in increased sleep efficiency (SE), reductions in sleep fragmentation (SF), reduced excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and dementia-related behaviors, and improvements in cognition and other daytime behaviors. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to develop AD due to longer life expectance and emerging evidence. In light of this increased risk and also to enhance other aspects of biological uniformity in our study, this project will investigate women with AD.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Simulated Sunlight | Experimental | Device: Morning Simulated SunlightTimed morning simulated sunlight (Philips Wake Up Light, Model HF3520) peaking at 300 lux delivered over a 40 minute ramp between 5-9 a.m. for 14 consecutive days. A flexible window of has been allowed to accommodate participants and care routines. |
| Non-Therapeutic Red Light | Placebo comparator | Device: Non-therapeutic Red LightNon-therapeutic red light control at 5 lux will be used as the control condition |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 65 years and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- baseline sleep efficiency index < .85
- Mini-Mental State Exam-2 Standard Version (MMSE-2:SV) score of 0-20
- be medically stable
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- received light treatment in last 3 months
- are totally blind in both eyes, have photosensitivity or photophobia, Parkinsons disease, known untreated sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, seizure disorder, bipolar, schizophrenia, are actively receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Simulated SunlightTimed morning simulated sunlight (Philips Wake Up Light, Model HF3520) peaking at 300 lux delivered over a 40 minute ramp between 5-9 a.m. for 14 consecutive days | Device | Morning Simulated Sunlight |
| Non-therapeutic Red LightNon-therapeutic red light control at 5 lux will be used as the control condition | Device | Non-Therapeutic Red Light |
Primary outcome
Change in sleep characteristics
Time frame: 2 weeks
Change in sleep characteristics and rest-activity rhythm after 2 weeks of light therapy as measured by actigraphy
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 20 Feb 2017.
Related trials for Alzheimer's Disease
RecruitingPhase 3
Nabilone for Agitation Blinded Intervention Trial
Alzheimer Disease, Agitation
Active, not recruitingPhase 2
A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Biomarker Effects of RO7269162 in Participants at Risk for or at the Prodromal Stage of Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
Alzheimer's Disease
Recruiting
HEARS-NPS: Addressing Hearing Loss as a Common Unmet Contributor of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms
Alzheimer Disease, Dementia
RecruitingPhase 3
A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of KarXT + KarX-EC for the Treatment of Agitation Associated With Alzheimer's Disease (ADAGIO-1)
Alzheimer Disease
RecruitingObservational study
PET Imaging in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA)
Aging
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.
LuAnn Etcher, PhD principal investigator
Yale University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Morning Simulated Sunlight and Non-therapeutic Red Light in people with Alzheimer's Disease, run by Yale University 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 3 inclusion and 2 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 20 Feb 2017. 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?
Change in sleep characteristics (time frame: 2 weeks). 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 20 Feb 2017; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.