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Can a bright lamp lift winter depression in bipolar II?

NCT ID NCT00590265

Symptom relief Sponsor: Douglas Mental Health University Institute 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
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing whether daily sessions with a bright light lamp can ease depressive episodes in people with bipolar II disorder. The trial compares a bright 10,000 lux lamp against a dim placebo lamp, with each session lasting 30 minutes. Participants are adults whose depression began in autumn or winter. The study tracks mood improvement, sleep quality, and side effects to see if light therapy is a safe and effective addition to standard care.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Bright light therapy using a SADelite lamp (10,000 lux for 30 minutes daily)
What this could lead to
If it works, bright light therapy could offer a drug-free option to lift depressive episodes in people with bipolar II disorder, especially during fall and winter.
What could go wrong
This is a small early-stage trial with 31 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Light therapy can also trigger mood swings, including mania, in bipolar disorder.

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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

31 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Jan 2008

Finished

Oct 2025

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

18 to 70 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: * Bipolar type II disorder, depressive phase meeting DSM-IV criteria as per the SCID interview * Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 21 items (HAMD-21) ≥ 17 and a Montgomery Asberg rating Scale (MADRS) ≥ 15 for at least 2 weeks and the episode has begun during the month of september or a later month * Able to give their consent and willingness to participate to the study Exclusion Criteria: * Other psychiatric condition, organic brain disorder, unstable and/or untreated medical condition such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, cardiac condition, hypertension * Deficit in vitamin B12 or folate * Sub-syndromic hypomania symptoms as per a Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score ≥ 4 * History of manic or hypomanic switch when exposed to bright light or during prolonged exposure to the sun during previous depressive phases * Pregnancy or absence of a contraceptive treatment * History of light-induced migraine or epilepsy * Marked suicidal ideation * Retinal blindness or severe cataract * Glaucoma, retinal diseases of the eye * Alcohol or drug abuse * Known skin sensitivity to sunlight, especially in patients receiving photosensitizing drugs such as lithium or phenothiazines * Past history of light therapy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

bipolar depression bipolar disorder bipolar II disorder Depression

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Bipolar type II disorder Depression, bipolar

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Douglas Mental Health University Institute

    Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada

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