Flashed Light Therapy for Adolescents With ADHD and Delayed Sleep Timing

Running, not enrolling · Not applicable

Conditions studied: ADHD

In brief

The primary aim of the present research project is to examine the feasibility, as measured by treatment perceptions, and tolerability, as measured by adherence and attrition, of two weeks of flashed light therapy alone followed by four weeks of daily flashed light therapy combined with four weekly videoconference-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy sessions targeting circadian rhythms and sleep in four adolescents aged 14 to 17 years with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and delayed sleep-wake schedules.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06036420

Run by

University of California, Los Angeles

People needed

6

Starts

2023-10-20

Expected to finish

2027-03-20

Last updated by the study team

2026-02-05

Who can join

Age: 14 and older, up to 17. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age of 14 to 17 years
• Current DSM-5 diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (any type)
• Self-reported average bedtime of 11:00 pm or later, with difficulty shifting bedtime earlier and difficulty waking up early enough in the morning
• Evening chronotype (i.e., score ≤ 27 on the Morningness-Eveningness scale for Children)
• Clinically significant ADHD severity (ADHD-Rating Scale-5 score ≥ 24)
• Moderate global functioning impairment or worse (Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale score ≥ 4)
• Attending school (i.e., standard school year or summer school) during study enrollment
• Fluency in English

You may not qualify if…

• Current or lifetime diagnosis of bipolar Disorder, psychosis, autism spectrum disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder
• Alcohol or substance dependence or suicidality within the past 6 months
• Current depression or anxiety in the severe range or higher
• Sleep disorder present besides delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (Clinical Sleep History Interview)
• Sleep solely in the prone position (i.e., on stomach)
• Full scale IQ ≤ 80 (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale for Intelligence-II)
• Use of any over-the-counter (e.g., melatonin, Benadryl) or prescribed sleep medication in the past month or planned use during the study
• Changes to any psychiatric medication within one month of study enrollment or planned changes during the study
• Use of photosensitizing medication within one month of study enrollment or planned during the study
• Participation in behavior therapy for sleep and/or ADHD within 3 months of study enrollment or planned participation during the course of the study
• Use of light therapy within 6 months of study enrollment or planned use during the study
• Travel across > 2 time zones within one month of study enrollment or planned travel outside of the time zone of participation during the study
• Structural barriers to sleep (e.g., night shift work, extracurriculars scheduled until late in the evening, early rising for sports practice)
• Medical or neurological condition (e.g., seizure disorder, chronic migraines) that would interfere in the individual's ability to participate

Where it is running

• Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles — Los Angeles, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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