Adjunctive Bright Light Therapy in Patients With Bipolar Depression and Eveningness

March 4, 2026 updated by: Joey WY Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong

A Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial for Adjunctive Bright Light Therapy in Patients With Bipolar Depression and Eveningness

This is a randomized placebo-controlled trial to examine the efficacy of six-week bright light therapy as adjunctive treatment for patient with bipolar depression and eveningness.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

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.

Detailed Description

This randomized placebo-controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of adjunctive BLT in addition to their maintenance treatment in reducing depressive symptoms. The second aim of the study is to explore the effects of BLT on sleep-wake changes and the sleep disturbances.

Method: Each eligible participant will be randomized to either i) bright light therapy (BLT) or ii) inactive negative ion generator (placebo) treatment for 30-minutes daily at the midday for a total of six weeks. Participants will be evaluated at baseline, 2nd, 4th and 6th week for depression and insomnia symptoms. Actigraphy will be done at baseline and in the last week of treatment.

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 (Estimated)

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.
70

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

  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Aged 18-65 years.
  2. Is capable to give informed consent.
  3. Meeting the diagnostic criteria of bipolar depression (including both bipolar I and II disorders) by the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-V), Disorders (SCID-V).
  4. a score 20 or above representing current moderate or severe episode of major depression and a score of at least 1 on items H1 or H2 on the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale with Atypical Depression Supplement (SIGH-ADS), corresponding to at least moderate severity.
  5. A score of 41 or less by the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire which represents eveningness.
  6. On a stable dose of antimanic treatment for bipolar disorder for at least four weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Major Depressive Disorder fulfilling the Seasonal Pattern Specifier of the DSM-V (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
  2. A past history of rapid-cycling within the past twelve months or a Young Mania Rating Scale more than 12 at screening
  3. A current or past history of schizophrenia, mental retardation, organic mental disorder; or current substance use disorder.
  4. Presence of psychotic symptoms or substantial suicidal risk as judged by the clinician and/or screening instruments.
  5. Presence of contraindications to bright light therapy: for example, history of light induced migraine/ epilepsy; current use of photosensitizing medications such as St. John's wart; presence of eye disease: e.g. retinal blindness, severe cataract, glaucoma, and photosensitive skin condition e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus
  6. Significant medical condition/ hearing impairment/ speech deficit leading to incapability of completing clinical interview.
  7. Regular shift-workers or trans-meridian flight in the past 3 months or during study
  8. Enrolment in another clinical trial of an investigational medicinal product or device.
  9. Receiving regular psychotherapy.

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

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.
Experimental: Bright light therapy group
10,000lux bright light
Device: Bright light therapy
Exposure to 10,000lux bright light for 30minutes a day for six weeks
Placebo Comparator: Placebo group
inactive negative ion generator
Device: Inactive negative ion generator
Exposure to an inactive negative ion generator for 30 minutes a day for six weeks

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
Change of depressive symptoms score
Time Frame: at the end of treatment
Change in the score of the Structural Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale with atypical depression supplement (SIGH-ADS), SIGH-ADS scores range from 0-79; higher score indicates greater depression severity.
at the end of treatment

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
Change of insomnia symptoms
Time Frame: at the end of treatment
The change in the score of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), which ranges from 0-28, higher score indicates higher severity of insomnia
at the end of treatment

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.
Chinese University of Hong Kong

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 (Actual)

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.
June 2, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
November 28, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2026

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).
April 27, 2022

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.
April 27, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

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 2, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
March 5, 2026

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.
March 4, 2026

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.
March 1, 2026

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.
  • 2020.676T
  • 14111502 (Other Grant/Funding Number: General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grants Council, University Grant Committee)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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