N/A N=51 Randomized Triple-blind Treatment

Behavioral Study of Effects of Low-Level Light Therapy on Mood and Reaction Time

Depression

Bottom Line

View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02390076 ↗

Enrolled (actual)

Serious AEs

0.0%

Results posted

May 2019

Primary outcome: Primary: Presence and Severity of Depressive Symptoms Assessed by Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D) — 21.93; 22.5; 21.75 units on a the CESD scale

Study Design & Population

Study type: Interventional
Phase: N/A
Interventions: Left Low Level Light Therapy (Device); Attention bias modification (Other); Right Low Level Light Therapy (Device); Sham Low Level Light Therapy (Device)
Age: Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex: All
Sponsor: Seth Disner
Primary completion: Jan 2015

Outcome Measures

Outcome	Result	p-value
PRIMARY Presence and Severity of Depressive Symptoms Assessed by Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D)	21.93; 22.5; 21.75	—
SECONDARY Biased Attention for Emotional Stimuli Measured by the Dot Probe Task	-24.15; 4.28; -3.08	—

Summary

The goal of this project is to use low-level light therapy (LLLT) to enhance neural metabolism in the prefrontal cortex of humans, and measure the effects of LLLT on attentional bias change following a single session of attention bias modification (ABM). LLLT is non-invasive, therapeutically beneficial, and promotes a wide range of biological effects including enhancement of energy production, gene expression and prevention of cell death. Previous research has indicated that human participants show a beneficial psychological effect, including improved mood and greater sustained attention, following a single treatment of LLLT to the forehead. ABM is a computer-based cognitive task designed to decrease the mood-congruent negative attentional bias frequently observed in depressed and dysphoric individuals. Previous ABM studies have led to decrease in clinical symptoms relative to a control condition. This study will explore whether the effects of LLLT on mood and attention could improve the potency of ABM, leading to greater attention change and greater improvement of mood relative to sham LLLT.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

18 to 35 years old,
English as first language,
baseline CES-D score > 16.

Exclusion Criteria

active neurological condition (such as epilepsy or stroke).

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02390076). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.