Can talk therapy boost the benefits of low vision aids for people with inherited eye diseases?
NCT ID NCT06651736
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding emotional regulation therapy (ERT) to standard low vision rehabilitation (LVR) helps people with inherited retinal diseases who feel anxious or distressed about their vision. About 180 participants will receive LVR, which includes free vision-enhancing devices and training. Those with high distress will also get ERT. The goal is to see if the combination improves daily function and reduces anxiety more than LVR alone.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Low Vision Rehabilitation (LVR) and Emotional Regulation Therapy (ERT)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a better way to help people with inherited retinal diseases manage daily tasks and reduce anxiety related to vision loss.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 180 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The main outcomes are based on questionnaires, not direct measures of vision 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
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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
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About 180 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Diagnosed with vision impairment with IRD etiology * Must have had a clinical exam with an IRD specialist within the three months of assignment to Arm * Have had a Goldmann visual field that was tested with III-4e isopter within the last year * Have a disability greater than zero theta in any of the domains of Michigan Retinal Dystrophy Questionnaire (MRDQ) * Have an indication from the IRD specialist that the ocular condition will not deteriorate over the next 1- year * Able to participate in 10 weeks of ERT sessions while being physically located in Michigan (these will take place in the first 10 months of the study) Exclusion Criteria: * Having other ocular comorbidities including those associated with an IRD such as control of cystoid macular edema (CME) * Functional needs regarding low vision (i.e. activities of daily living) have been adequately addressed per a study low vision specialist * Current mental health therapy * The participant must not have an elevated suicidal intention (SI) or suicide risk based on Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) further information collected at screening (If suicidal intentions are identified, the study staff will complete the suicide protocol (per protocol) * If the participant is using medication for mental health or psychiatry concerns, participants must be on a stable dose of the medication (1-month of taking), otherwise will be excluded * Inability to complete study task requirements
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Michigan
RECRUITINGAnn Arbor, Michigan, 48105, United States
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