Home workouts and light boxes tested for brain injury rehab
NCT ID NCT01175993
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 15 times
Summary
This study tested whether a 3-month home exercise program on an elliptical machine and 3 months of bright light therapy could improve movement, balance, and mood in adults with traumatic brain injury. Thirty-four participants (including healthy volunteers) were enrolled. The goal was to see if these simple, at-home interventions could boost brain function and quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- elliptical exercise and bright light therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward simple, home-based therapies to improve mobility, balance, and mood after traumatic brain injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase study with only 34 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The interventions are non-invasive, but improvements may be small or not last long.
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
-
Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
-
34 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Aug 2011
- Finished
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Feb 2014
- Lead sponsor
-
A government research agency
The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 44 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
* INLCUSION CRITERIA: Inclusion criteria for all subjects (healthy volunteers and those with TBI) include: -ages 18 - 44, inclusive Additional inclusion criteria for those with TBI include:diagnosis of traumatic brain injury * at least 6 months from initial brain injury * ability to stand and walk independently and safely without assistance * sufficient attention and cognition to complete the assessments without a proxy * capable of providing own consent EXCLUSION CRITERIA: * presence of an injury to any extremity, or other medical condition that would affect motor function or the ability to perform the assessments or the exercise program, specifically balance problems due to Vestibulopathy, that would affect your ability to perform the assessments or the exercise program * have any of the following contraindications to having an MRI scan: * Pregnancy: For any female of childbearing potential who is not pregnant, a pregnancy test will be done. * A ventriculo-peritoneal shunt * Have claustrophobia and are not comfortable in small enclosed spaces. * have metal in your body that would make having an MRI scan unsafe such as: cardiac pacemaker, insulin infusion pump, implanted drug infusion device, cochlear or ear implant, transdermal medication patch (nitroglycerine), any metallic implants or objects, body piercing that cannot be removed, bone or joint pin, screw, nail, plate, wire sutures or surgical staples, shunts, cerebral aneurysms clips, shrapnel or other metal embedded (such as from war wounds or accidents or previous work in metal fields or machines that may have left any metallic fragments in or near your eyes). If you have a question about any metal objects being present in your body, you should ask the study doctor. * Excessive startle reaction to or fear of loud noises * You are not able to fit in the scanner Additional exclusion criteria for those with TBI include: -Planning to make a change in medication or therapy during the enrollment period with the goal of improving mood, cognitive function or motor function.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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