Phototherapy in Young People With Depression

May 14, 2015 updated by: Rébecca Robillard, University of Ottawa

Phototherapy in Young People With Depression; Investigating Associations Between Changes in Actigraphic Sleep-wake Profile and Depressive Symptoms

Bright light therapy is an established treatment pathway for sleep and circadian disorders and evidence suggests that it has antidepressant effects. The underlying mechanisms of these antidepressant effects are not fully understood and results from previous studies are somewhat variable. One of the important limitations of previous depression studies has been the heterogeneity of samples in which bright light therapy has been administered.

The main aim of this study is to evaluate whether the antidepressant effects of phototherapy in young persons with depression are modulated by changes in the sleep-wake cycle. We hypothesize that more pronounce initial sleep-phase delay will predict better antidepressant response to phototherapy and that the magnitude of changes in depressive symptoms across the course of the intervention will correlate with changes in the sleep-wake cycle.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Australia
    • New South Wales
      • Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia, 2050
        • Suspended
        • Brain and Mind Research Insitute, The University of Sydney
  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Z 7K4
        • Recruiting
        • Sleep and Depression Research Units, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

13 years to 30 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology score > 6;
  2. First episode of depression before age 25;
  3. Currently engaged in, or about to start treatment for an affective disorder at a mental health clinic.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Evidence of other sleep, neurological or primary medical conditions that could explain the current depression and/or contribute to sleep-wake dysfunction;
  2. Other primary psychiatric disorders aside from anxiety disorders;
  3. Significant alcohol or other substance dependence;
  4. Use of medications that affect sleep, circadian rhythms, or alertness within the past month (participants stabilized on an antidepressant medication, stimulants, lithium or melatoninergic agents will not be excluded from the study);
  5. Use of medications that may interact with light to produce a photoallergic reaction;
  6. Eye or skin condition which may interact with bright light exposure;
  7. Regular shift-work within 60-days prior to entry into the study;
  8. Recent transmeridian travel.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Phototherapy
Device: Phototherapy light-emitting glasses

The intervention consists of four weeks of bright light exposure with light-emitting glasses (blue-green 500 nm dominant wavelength; 506 Lux lm/m^2) upon awakening and progressive shift to earlier wake-up times.

Participants are encouraged to complete the light exposure sessions for 60 min each day. Participants are also instructed to progressively shift their schedule 15 min earlier every day. This shift continues until the end of the four weeks of the intervention, or stops if the target wake-up time of 7:30am is reached (in which case, participants keep a stable wake-up and light session schedule at 7.30am for the remainder of the intervention). If participants already wake-up before 7.30am at study entry, they do the light exposure sessions upon awakening across the four weeks of the intervention.

During the intervention, participants are asked to note down the time of each light exposure session in a diary. Adherence is also monitored and promoted through weekly phone calls.

Other Names:
  • Re-timer

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Severity of Depression
Time Frame: Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Change in severity of depression as measured by the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDSA17-SR)
Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Severity of Depression
Time Frame: Score between baseline and follow up (8 weeks)
Change in depression as measured by the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDSA17-SR)
Score between baseline and follow up (8 weeks)
Associations between Changes in Sleep-Wake Profile and Changes in Severity of Depression
Time Frame: Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Associations between changes in sleep-wake profile (mean sleep onset time, offset time efficiency and acrophase), as measured by actigraphy, and change in depression severity as measured by the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDSA17-SR)
Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Associations between Initial Sleep-Wake Profile and Changes in Severity of Depression
Time Frame: Baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Associations between the initial sleep-wake profile (mean sleep onset time, offset time efficiency and acrophase), as measured by actigraphy, and change in depression severity as measured by the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDSA17-SR)
Baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Subjective Sleep Quality
Time Frame: Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Change in Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire score
Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Fatigue Severity
Time Frame: Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention
Change in Fatigue Severity Scale score
Between baseline and post (4 weeks) intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Ottawa

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Sydney

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 14, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 14, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 19, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 19, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 14, 2015

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2015007

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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