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Does blue light calm the depressed brain? a scan study investigates

NCT ID NCT05712772

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 02, 2026 · Last updated Sep 03, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are testing whether brief exposure to blue light, compared with red light, can stabilize emotional brain function in adolescents and young adults with depressive symptoms. Participants undergo brain scans while viewing light, complete a pupillometry test, and track their sleep for a week. The study aims to see if blue light affects brain regions involved in emotion and reward differently in teens versus young adults.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Blue light exposure compared with red light exposure
What this could lead to
If blue light stabilizes emotional brain responses in depression, it could point toward a drug-free, light-based approach to ease depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults.
What could go wrong
This is an early pilot study with 80 participants, so the findings may not apply broadly. The effects of light on brain function are subtle, and the study measures brain activity rather than direct symptom improvement.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 80 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2023

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

12 to 30 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

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

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

depressive disorder major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Depression in adolescence Depression in adults

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Western Psychiatric Hospital

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.