Can a HappyLight soothe dementia symptoms? new study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07488195
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study will test whether bright light therapy can help reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms like agitation in people with dementia. Researchers plan to enroll 70 adults on inpatient units at Mayo Clinic. Participants will receive 60-minute sessions of light therapy three times daily for five days using a Verilux HappyLight. The main goals are to see if the approach is feasible, acceptable, and tolerable.
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 (Verilux HappyLight)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to ease agitation and other behavioral symptoms in people with dementia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study focused on feasibility, not effectiveness. It may not show clear benefits, and results may not apply to all dementia patients.
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 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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: * Adult patients admitted on the inpatient Domitilla 3D or 4D unit. * Documented diagnosis of dementia or suspected major neurocognitive disorder. * Presence of BPSD symptoms either clinician documented in EHR or assessed through CMAI-O form * Have patient consent or have a LAR able to sign the consent on behalf of the patient. Exclusion Criteria: * Macular degeneration, blindness, or photosensitivity * Patients that do not have capacity to consent and do not have a legally authorized representative to consent on their behalf * Recent eye surgery * Bipolar disorder * Pregnancy
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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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Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
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