Neuro-affective Response to Light in Depressed Adolescents and Young Adults
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Blue Light, Red Light.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Depression in Adolescence, Depression in Adults. Basic parameters: 12 years — 30 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Overview
The goal of this neuroimaging pilot study is to understand developmental differences in the impact of therapeutic wavelength light (blue light) versus a non-therapeutic wavelength (red light) on emotional brain function in depression. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does acute exposure to blue light (vs red light) stabilize emotional brain function in depressed individuals? * Are stabilizing effects of blue light (vs red light) stronger for blue light in adolescents than young adults? Participants will complete: * A magnetic resonance imaging brain scan, in which we will examine the effect of blue versus red light on emotional brain function at rest and in response to rewards and losses. * A pupillometry test of sensitivity to blue vs red light * Clinical interviews and surveys * Screening measures for drug and alcohol use, MRI safety, and current pregnancy \[if relevant\] * Home sleep tracking with sleep diary and actigraphy for one week
Interventions
- Other Blue Light
Blue light exposure - Other Red Light
Red light exposure
Primary outcome measures
- Amygdala cerebral blood flow during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Ventral Striatum cerebral blood flow during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Amygdala activity (loss>neutral) during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Ventral Striatum activity (punish>neutral) during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
Secondary outcome measures (9)
- Medial prefrontal cortex cerebral blood flow during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Insula cerebral blood flow during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Ventromedial prefrontal cortex cerebral blood flow during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Amygdala-whole brain functional connectivity (loss>neutral) during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity (loss>neutral) during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Insula activity (loss>neutral) during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Medial prefrontal cortex activity (win>neutral) during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Ventral striatum-whole brain functional connectivity (win>neutral) during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
- Ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity, insula, and medial prefrontal activity, and amygdala- and ventral striatum whole brain functional connectivity (response bias; B') during Blue vs Red light exposure [Time frame: Collected during the blue and red light exposures during the MRI scan at the lab visit]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Elevated Depressive Symptoms \[PHQ9≥5 And (Item 1≥1 or Item 2≥1)\]
- (If <18yr) Parent or guardian can attend the baseline clinical interview
Exclusion criteria
- Unable to read and write in English
- Intellectual disability.
- Left or mixed handedness
- Changes to psychotropic medication type or dosage in the past 2 months
- Lifetime bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, or substance/alcohol disorder in the past 3 months.
- Factors influencing light and color sensitivity (i.e., color-blindness, serious ophthalmological conditions, photo-sensitizing medication).
- Factors influencing the ability to maintain a stable sleep schedule (i.e., shift work, severe sleep disorders, extremely late or early sleep schedule).
- Severe medical illness, neurological disorders, or history of head trauma.
- Current pregnancy or nursing
- MRI contraindication (e.g., metals in the body, recent tattoo, claustrophobia)
- Positive alcohol or substance use screen at MRI visit
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Western Psychiatric Hospital — Pittsburgh
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05712772 · STUDY22040093 · R21MH127294