Could a morning lightbox ease the triple burden of TBI, PTSD, and pain in veterans?
NCT ID NCT06477796
First seen Jun 29, 2026 · Last updated Jun 30, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether sitting in front of a bright lightbox for 60 minutes each morning can improve sleep and overall well-being in veterans who have traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain together—known as the polytrauma clinical triad. The trial involves 96 veterans who will use either a lightbox or a placebo device at home for several weeks. The goal is to see if better sleep can help reduce the disabling effects of these interconnected conditions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- morning bright light therapy (lightbox)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this simple, home-based light therapy could become a widely available tool to ease sleep problems and improve daily life for veterans with complex health issues.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 96 participants. The therapy may not improve sleep or symptoms more than a placebo, and individual results may vary.
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 96 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.
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 to 89 years
- 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: * Veteran * English speaking with phone and internet access * Current self-reported sleep disturbances * Clinical stable for current pharmacologic or behavioral health treatments for depression, anxiety, sleep and pain * Documented history of TBI Exclusion Criteria: * Decisional impairment and/or dementia * Current usage of a lightbox or negative ion generator * Shift work * History of macular degeneration and/or bipolar disorder * Evidence for suicidal ideation * Cancer diagnosis within the past 6 months * Surgery within the past 6 months * Substance abuse within the past 6-12 months * Significant impairing post-stroke residual hemiparesis
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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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VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR
RECRUITINGPortland, Oregon, 97207-2964, United States
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