NCT07002554
Bright Light Therapy for Depressed Geriatric Inpatients
Enrolling by Invitation
PHASE2Ages 60+InterventionalTreatmentMedical University of South CarolinaInvestigator-initiated
~20 participants
Updated 2026-04-16 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Bright light therapydim red light
At a glance
Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Study completion rate
Measured over Up to week 6 (Upon time of discharge from inpatient unit)
+1 more outcome measured
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesSouth Carolina1
Study leadership
- Rindy Fernandes, DO · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Medical University of South Carolina
Who to contact
This trial hasn't published a contact. View it on ClinicalTrials.gov
Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Eligibility criteria
Inclusion
A current episode of non-psychotic unipolar depression as the primary reason for psychiatric hospitalization
Currently hospitalized on the MUSC Senior Care Unit
Age 60 years or older
HAMD-17 ≥8
Exclusion
Any prior use of bright light therapy
Primary indication for hospitalization is for a disorder other than major depressive disorder (determined by patient's treatment team)
Photosensitive medical conditions or current use of photosensitizing medications - if patients have been advised by a treating clinician at any point to avoid sunlight because of their current medication regimen or medical condition, they will be considered to have a photosensitive medical condition and will be excluded from this study.
Treatment with ECT; if a patient's condition deteriorates during study participation such that the treatment team feels ECT would be in their best interest, they will be withdrawn from study participation. For logistical and transport purposes, the study team feels that exclusion of patients receiving ECT will be necessarily. Additionally, these patients would likely be excluded from a future larger RCT given that ECT would likely interfere with signal of BLT efficacy.
Uncontrolled headaches or any migraines within the last month
Major neurocognitive disorder
Severe intellectual disability
Inability to consent for the study
Active psychosis
Inmates
What this trial measures
- Study completion rateUp to week 6 (Upon time of discharge from inpatient unit)
Percentage of patients who complete the study while psychiatrically hospitalized
- Adequacy of allocation blindingUp to week 6 (Upon time of discharge from inpatient unit)
assessed by the proportion of participants who correctly identify their study arm allocation. Blinding will be considered adequate if the proportion of correct guesses does not significantly exceed chance levels