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Parkinson DiseaseNCT06129942

Light Therapy in Parkinson's Disease

A study testing Bright light box and Dim Light box in people with Parkinson Disease and Sleep Disorder, run by Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University at 1 site in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to clarify the effect of bright light therapy on motor symptoms and sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 to 80 years
What is being tested?
Bright light box and Dim Light box
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
1 Sep 2021to 16 May 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 50 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • According to the criteria of PD diagnosis of the MDS, PD patients were selected as the research object. The clinical symptoms of PD patients were consistent with Hoehn and Yahr stages 2-3.
  • All PD patients have maintained stable drug treatment for at least one month, signed clinical informed consent and agreed not to adjust drugs throughout the light test and follow-up period.

Who cannot join

  • Using hypnotic or stimulating drugs.
  • Using antidepressants, except stable drugs maintained for more than three months;
  • Visual impairment, such as cataract, glaucoma, blindness, etc;
  • Cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24);
  • There are uncontrollable hallucinations and mental diseases;
  • There are sleep phase delay / advance syndrome, shift work, jet lag, etc

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Chun-Feng Liu, PhD contact

+86 512 67783307

liuchunfeng@suda.edu.cn

China1 site, 1 recruiting

  • Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University

    Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215004

    Chun-Feng Liu, Ph.D, M.D., 00 86 512 67783307, liuchunfeng@suda.edu.cn

    Chun-Feng Liu, Ph.D,M.D.

    Recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Light Therapy in Parkinson's Disease: a Prospective, Observational Study

The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to clarify the effect of bright light therapy on motor symptoms and sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Read the detailed description

As the most important biologic rhythm timer, exogenous light supplement has certain benefits for the improvement of sleep quality and dementia. At present, it is gradually used in sleep and neuropsychiatric diseases. In an open study, 120 patients with PD received 4000 to 6000 lux of light, for 60 minutes before habitual bedtime. The patients were followed up for several months to 8 years, and it found the patients who persisted in the treatment improved their mood, anxiety and motor function. Clinical studies have confirmed the safety and effectiveness of light in improving insomnia and daytime sleepiness of PD patients. It was found that strong light can significantly improve the patients' motor and non-motor symptoms. However, these findings have not been reported in Chinese PD patients. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to clarify the effect of bright light therapy on motor symptoms and sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease and explore the possible mechanism.

Being tested
Bright light box, Dim Light box
Medical subject headings
Parkinson Disease, Sleep Wake Disorders, Chronobiology Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Bright light boxDevice

    The light box uses a spectrally transparent prism diffuser, which can block ultraviolet rays, but will not affect the quality of the filtered light and will not turn yellow. The distance between the light box and the patient should not exceed 65cm.PD patients are selected for light intervention of different intensities. The experimental group is treated with 10,000 Lux intensity. The treatment time is 1 hour each day from 08:00-11:00 in the morning and 17:00-19:00 in the afternoon lasting for a month. The patient is asked to move under the light source, but should not fall asleep.

  • Dim Light boxDevice

    The light box uses a spectrally transparent prism diffuser, which can block ultraviolet rays, but will not affect the quality of the filtered light and will not turn yellow. The distance between the light box and the patient should not exceed 65cm.PD patients are selected for light intervention of different intensities. The control group is treated with 300 Lux intensity. The treatment time is 1 hour each day from 08:00-11:00 in the morning and 17:00-19:00 in the afternoon lasting for a month. The patient is asked to move under the light source, but should not fall asleep.

Study groups in NCT06129942
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Dim light groupPlacebo comparatortreated with the placebo device which operates with one intensity of 300 lux * 1 month
Receives: Device: Dim Light box
Bright light groupExperimentaltreated with the experimental device which operates with one intensity of 10,000 lux * 1 month
Receives: Device: Bright light box

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Changes from baseline in total sleep time(TST) by polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period

    Total sleep time is the sum of sleep time in each period. This outcome reflects change of patients' sleep quality.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  2. Changes from baseline in sleep efficient by polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period

    Sleep efficiency is the ratio of the total time spent asleep (total sleep time) in a night compared to the total amount of time spent in bed. This outcome reflects change of patients' sleep quality.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  3. Change from baseline in REM sleep without atonia by (RWA) polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period

    REM sleep without atonia (RWA) is the PSG finding of persistent muscle tone during REM sleep, resulting in paroxysmal phasic or tonic EMG activity. Together with dream-enacting behavior (DEB), RSWA is a necessary diagnostic criterion of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). This outcome reflects change of RBD severity.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  4. Change from baseline in sleep onset latency polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period

    Sleep latency is the amount of time it takes patients to go from being fully awake to sleeping. Patients' sleep latency and how quickly they reach rapid eye movement (REM) sleep can be indicators of the amount and quality of sleep they are getting.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  5. Change from baseline in Periodic Limb Movement during Sleep(PLMS) by polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period

    Periodic limb movement during sleep (PLMS) is is described as a stereotypical involuntary movement during sleep. In particular, presenting more than 15 periodic limb movements per hour is related to daytime sleepiness due to low sleep quality. This outcome reflects change of patients' sleep quality.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  6. Changes from baseline in duration and percentage of each sleep stage by polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period

    Changes in the length and percentage of N1, N2, N3 and REM sleep,which reflect changes in sleep structure.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  7. Changes from baseline in slow wave activity(SWA) and slow wave energy(SWE) by polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period

    SWA and SWE are indicators of sleep depth and homeostasis in PSG.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

Secondary outcomes (17)

  1. Changes from baseline in MDS Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) score at the end of each intervention period

    MDS Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is an effective tool to evaluate the severity of motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Each item is simply given a 5- point score: 0 (Absent) to 4 (Marked in amplitude and present most of the time).The higher the MDS-UPDRS score is, the worse the symptoms are.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  2. Changes form baseline in Hoehn-Yahr scale at the end of each intervention period

    In H-Y scale, PD is divided into 5 stages according to the range and extent of motor symptoms. The higher the H-Y scale is, the worse the symptoms are.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  3. Changes form baseline in PDSS-2 score scale at the end of each intervention period

    The Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2(PDSS-2) assesses a wide spectrum of disease-specific sleep problems.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  4. Changes form baseline in Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score at the end of each intervention period

    The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) is widely used to measure sleep quality. The best cut-off score was 7. The higher the PSQI score is, the worse the sleep quality is.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  5. Changes from baseline in REM sleep behavior disorder questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBDQ-HK) score at the end of each intervention period

    REM sleep behavior disorder questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBDQ-HK) is widely used to assess the severity of RBD. The higher RBD-HK score is, the worse the symptoms are. In East China, the best cut-off value for RBDQ-HK was located at 17 with a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 81% (AUC = 0.892) .

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  6. Changes from baseline in Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) score at the end of each intervention period

    The Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) measures daytime sleepiness. The best cut-off score was 10.The higher the ESS score is, the worse the excessive sleepiness symptoms are.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  7. Changes from baseline in Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) score at the end of each intervention period

    The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) is the most widely known questionnaire to assess circadian preference. Cut-off points were evaluated: a range of 14-52 for Evening types, 53-64 for neither types, and 65-86 for Morning types.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  8. Changes from baseline in Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA) score at the end of each intervention period

    The Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA) is a widely used interview scale to measure the severity of a patient's anxiety . The HAMA score can range from 0 to 56. The higher the HAMA score is, the worse the symptoms are. The best cut-off score was14.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  9. Changes from baseline in Hamilton Depression Scale-24(HAMD-24) score at the end of each intervention period

    The Hamilton Depression Scale-24(HAMD-24) is a test measuring the severity of depressive symptoms in individuals. The HAMA score can range from 0 to 56. The higher the HAMA score is, the worse the symptoms are.An optimal HAMD-24 cut-off score for distinguishing between patients with and without a depressive disorders was found to be 9/10,with a high area under the curve(AUC) (0.91) indicating excellent discrimination.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  10. Changes in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score at the end of each intervention period

    Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is widely used to assess cognitive dysfunction. The MoCA score can range from 0 to 30.The best cut-off score was 26. The higher the MoCA score is, the better the cognitive function is.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  11. Changes from baseline in Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire at the end of each intervention period

    Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire(NMSQ)contains 30 items and requires patients to answer "yes" and "no" according to their own situation in the last month. It is widely used in the assessment of PD patients' non motor symptoms.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  12. Changes from baseline in Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) at the end of each intervention period

    The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) is the most frequently used disease-specific health status measure.PDQ-39 total score equal or above 47 was the optimal cut-off associated with a high caregiver strain with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 64% .

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  13. Changes from baseline in Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at the end of each intervention period

    The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) is a scale used in the evaluation of fatigue that affects patients. A list of 9 statements is provided. The best cut-off score was 4.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  14. Changes from baseline in electroencephalogram(EEG) at the end of each intervention period

    Amplitudes of various frequency bands in each cortical region of EEG reflects change of cortical activity.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  15. Changes from baseline in the rhythmic level of melatonin in serum and saliva at the end of each intervention period

    We collected saliva of participants in sections for 24 hours (6:00, 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00, ten time points in total) and serum（8：00，20：00）to detect the level of melatonin. This outcome reflects change of biological rhythm.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  16. Changes from baseline in the rhythmic level of cortisol in serum and saliva at the end of each intervention period

    We collected saliva of participants in sections for 24 hours (6:00, 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00, ten time points in total) and serum（8：00，20：00）to detect the level of cortisol. This outcome reflects change of biological rhythm.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

  17. Changes from baseline in functional magnetic resonance(fMRI) at the end of each intervention period

    The functional connections between each brain region and brain network analysis of fMRI reflects change of brain network.

    Measured: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted13 Nov 2023
  2. Study start1 Sep 2021
  3. Primary completion16 May 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion16 May 2026 (estimated)

Resources

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
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
50 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06129942
Sponsor's protocol ID
JD-LK2020062-R02
Status last verified
Feb 2025
First submitted
19 Aug 2021
Last updated
12 Feb 2025
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Fox SH, Katzenschlager R, Lim SY, Barton B, de Bie RMA, Seppi K, Coelho M, Sampaio C; Movement Disorder Society Evidence-Based Medicine Committee. International Parkinson and movement disorder society evidence-based medicine review: Update on treatments for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 2018 Aug;33(8):1248-1266. doi: 10.1002/mds.27372. Epub 2018 Mar 23.

    PubMed 29570866

  • Li Z, Tian T. Light Therapy Promoting Dopamine Release by Stimulating Retina in Parkinson Disease. JAMA Neurol. 2017 Oct 1;74(10):1267-1268. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.1906. No abstract available.

    PubMed 28806435

  • Rutten S, Vriend C, Smit JH, Berendse HW, Hoogendoorn AW, van den Heuvel OA, van der Werf YD. A double-blind randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of bright light therapy on depression in patients with Parkinson's disease. BMC Psychiatry. 2016 Oct 21;16(1):355. doi: 10.1186/s12888-016-1050-z.

    PubMed 27769202

  • Paus S, Schmitz-Hubsch T, Wullner U, Vogel A, Klockgether T, Abele M. Bright light therapy in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study. Mov Disord. 2007 Jul 30;22(10):1495-1498. doi: 10.1002/mds.21542.

    PubMed 17516492

  • Riemersma-van der Lek RF, Swaab DF, Twisk J, Hol EM, Hoogendijk WJ, Van Someren EJ. Effect of bright light and melatonin on cognitive and noncognitive function in elderly residents of group care facilities: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008 Jun 11;299(22):2642-55. doi: 10.1001/jama.299.22.2642.

    PubMed 18544724

  • Rutten S, Vriend C, Smit JH, Berendse HW, van Someren EJW, Hoogendoorn AW, Twisk JWR, van der Werf YD, van den Heuvel OA. Bright light therapy for depression in Parkinson disease: A randomized controlled trial. Neurology. 2019 Mar 12;92(11):e1145-e1156. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000007090. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

    PubMed 30770426

  • Moges H, Vasconcelos OM, Campbell WW, Borke RC, McCoy JA, Kaczmarczyk L, Feng J, Anders JJ. Light therapy and supplementary Riboflavin in the SOD1 transgenic mouse model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). Lasers Surg Med. 2009 Jan;41(1):52-9. doi: 10.1002/lsm.20732.

    PubMed 19143012

  • Videnovic A, Klerman EB, Wang W, Marconi A, Kuhta T, Zee PC. Timed Light Therapy for Sleep and Daytime Sleepiness Associated With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2017 Apr 1;74(4):411-418. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.5192.

    PubMed 28241159

  • Muntean ML, Benes H, Sixel-Doring F, Chaudhuri KR, Suzuki K, Hirata K, Zimmermann J, Trenkwalder C. Clinically relevant cut-off values for the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2 (PDSS-2): a validation study. Sleep Med. 2016 Aug;24:87-92. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2016.06.026. Epub 2016 Aug 24.

    PubMed 27810191

  • Opara J, Malecki A, Malecka E, Socha T. Motor assessment in Parkinson;s disease. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2017 Sep 21;24(3):411-415. doi: 10.5604/12321966.1232774. Epub 2017 May 11.

    PubMed 28954481

  • Shen SS, Shen Y, Xiong KP, Chen J, Mao CJ, Huang JY, Li J, Han F, Liu CF. Validation study of REM sleep behavior disorder questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBDQ-HK) in east China. Sleep Med. 2014 Aug;15(8):952-8. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2014.03.020. Epub 2014 May 14.

    PubMed 24938584

  • Torbey E, Pachana NA, Dissanayaka NN. Depression rating scales in Parkinson's disease: A critical review updating recent literature. J Affect Disord. 2015 Sep 15;184:216-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.05.059. Epub 2015 Jun 10.

    PubMed 26114228

  • Oguh O, Kwasny M, Carter J, Stell B, Simuni T. Caregiver strain in Parkinson's disease: national Parkinson Foundation Quality Initiative study. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2013 Nov;19(11):975-9. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2013.06.015. Epub 2013 Jul 18.

    PubMed 23871587

  • Martinez-Martin P, Rodriguez-Blazquez C, Mario Alvarez, Arakaki T, Arillo VC, Chana P, Fernandez W, Garretto N, Martinez-Castrillo JC, Rodriguez-Violante M, Serrano-Duenas M, Ballesteros D, Rojo-Abuin JM, Chaudhuri KR, Merello M. Parkinson's disease severity levels and MDS-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2015 Jan;21(1):50-4. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.10.026. Epub 2014 Nov 5.

    PubMed 25466406

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Bright light box and Dim Light box in people with Parkinson Disease and Sleep Disorder, run by Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University at 1 site in China.

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 2 inclusion and 6 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Feb 2025. 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 China. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Chun-Feng Liu, PhD (+86 512 67783307, liuchunfeng@suda.edu.cn), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Changes from baseline in total sleep time(TST) by polysomnography (PSG) at the end of each intervention period (time frame: visit1(baseline),visit2(4th week),visit3(8th week),visit4(12th week)). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06129942, which also lists 14 linked publications.

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 12 Feb 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.

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