Effect of Bright Light on Mood and Sleep in Parkinson's Disease (LightPD)

Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc

Status: Completed

Conditions: Parkinson's Disease; Depression

Treatments: Device: light therapy 30 min morning and evening, three months

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01604876

NL3905802912

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate whether light therapy is a suitable treatment option for depression and insomnia in Parkinson's disease.

Full description

The quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease and their caretakers is mainly influenced by so called non-motor symptoms. This includes neuropsychiatric consequences of the disease like depression and sleeping problems. The incidence of depressed mood in patients with Parkinson is approximately 50%, the incidence for sleeping problems is 90%. These symptoms are often overlooked and even if recognized, inadequately treated. The treatment of mood and sleep disturbances in Parkinson patients is hampered by adverse effects, incomplete responses to the usual treatments and the absence of specific treatment options for these symptoms in Parkinson's disease. On the basis of the hypothesis of disturbed functioning of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in Parkinson's disease it is expected that stimulation of this nucleus by bright light therapy will result in improved functioning on multiple different domains: mood, sleep, motor functions, quality of life and circadian rhythms. Because there are virtually no side effects and the possibility of home treatment, light therapy is expected to be highly appreciated by the patients.

Enrollment: 83 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Parkinson's disease
• depression

Exclusion criteria

• psychosis
• mania
• suicidality
• retinopathy
• previous light treatment
• use of photosensitising medication

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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83 participants in 2 patient groups

light condition 1 + day night structure

Experimental group

Description:

exposure to 10.000 lux light twice daily (morning + evening) for 30 minutes during 3 months at home.

Treatment:

Device: light therapy 30 min morning and evening, three months

Device: light therapy 30 min morning and evening, three months

light condition 2 + day night structure

Active Comparator group

Description:

exposure to 200 lux light twice daily (morning + evening) for 30 minutes during 3 months at home.

Treatment:

Device: light therapy 30 min morning and evening, three months

Device: light therapy 30 min morning and evening, three months