Clinical Trial of Light Therapy for Epilepsy

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Epilepsy
• Interventions: Other: 100 lux; Other: Light Therapy

• Registration Number: NCT01028456
• Lead Sponsor: University College, London

Brief Summary

This study is designed to investigate whether light therapy may be an effective treatment for some people with epilepsy. Light treatment is already an established treatment for depression. The chemical systems in the brain that are disrupted when someone becomes depressed, overlap with some of those that can be affected during some epileptic seizures. The investigators have designed this study to see whether light therapy may also lead to a decrease in seizures in people who have epilepsy.

The study will be a placebo controlled trial. This means that half of the participants will receive a therapeutic dose of light therapy from a light box, whilst the other half will only receive a placebo light treatment.

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to investigate a new, non invasive treatment for epilepsy that may be useful as an adjunctive therapy for people whose seizures are poorly controlled with anti epileptic drugs. Light therapy is a well established treatment for some forms of depression. From the cellular level to epidemiological studies, there are numerous strands of evidence in the scientific literature that indicate that light therapy could be also an effective treatment for some people with epilepsy.

The proposed study is a randomised placebo controlled trial of light therapy. One hundred people with medically refractory epilepsy will be recruited. Participants will be randomised to receive either therapeutic or placebo doses of light therapy from an identical device for 30 minutes a day during the treatment phase of the study. The statistical power of this study design is \>90% to detect a 25% reduction in seizure frequency during the treatment phase. Although this therapeutic approach is more likely to be palliative than curative, it represents a non invasive and relatively inexpensive add-on treatment option for a sub group of patients who may have reached the end of the road in other medical and surgical treatment options.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2009-12
• Study First Submitted: 2009-12-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-12-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2009-12-08
• Study First Posted: 2009-12-09
• Last Update Posted: 2009-12-09
• Study Start: 2010-09
• Primary Completion: 2011-04
• Study Completion: 2011-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 100

Inclusion Criteria

• Adult
• Medically intractable epilepsy
• Min 4 complex partial seizures/ month

Exclusion Criteria

• Ability to give informed consent
• Underlying progressive neurological condition

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
100 lux	100 lux	100 lux / 30 minutes day
Light Therapy 10,000 lux	Light Therapy	10,000 lux / 30 minutes a day for 3 months

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of seizures/month	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Mood	3 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery; 🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom