Bright Light Therapy During Inpatient Cocaine Detoxification

Recruiting now · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Cocaine-Related Disorders

In brief

Cocaine is a major psychostimulant used to induce a state of euphoria, improved self-confidence and resistance to fatigue, with suppression of sleep. The progressive use of cocaine leads to a potentially severe addictive process, with sometimes dramatic social repercussions, a major disruption of major physiological functions, such as sleep or nutrition, and risks of psychiatric, neurological or cardiovascular complications. Today, cocaine addiction is considered to be a growing societal problem, due to the fact that the use of this drug is becoming commonplace. There is no validated consensus or protocol for the management of cocaine addiction and no validated pharmacological treatment. The main therapeutic strategy for cocaine addiction is to organize a supervised cessation of use (withdrawal), followed by assistance in maintaining cessation. Withdrawal is a sensitive period that frequently takes place in a hospital setting, as withdrawal symptoms can occur, with major disruption of circadian rhythms, night-time awakenings, daytime sleepiness, high irritability, and sometimes depression. Reducing the desynchronization of nychthemeral cycles during cocaine withdrawal could be a simple strategy to improve the addictive prognosis and comfort of patients. Light therapy is a medical device consisting of the emission of white light enriched with blue light by a lamp or glasses with an intensity sufficient to stimulate the melanopsin cells of the retina and mimic daylight. Overall, light therapy improves sleep quality, mood, cognitive abilities, and decreases fatigue through direct activation of non-visual brain structures. Given the links between cocaine withdrawal and altered sleep or rhythms, there is some evidence to suggest that light therapy used during cocaine withdrawal may improve the prognosis of patients with cocaine addiction.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07545798
Run by: Hôpital le Vinatier
People needed: 256
Starts: 2025-09-12
Expected to finish: 2029-12-30
Last updated by the study team: 2026-06-12

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Male or female, 18 years of age or older
DSM-5 criteria for cocaine use disorder
Positive urine screen for cocaine
Hospitalization for supervised cocaine detoxification planned within the four upcoming weeks
The patients must be insured or beneficiary of a health insurance plan
Signed and dated informed consent document(s) indicating that the subject has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the trial

You may not qualify if…

Non-stabilized opioid use disorder or other psychostimulant use disorder (e.g., amphetamine, met-amphetamine, cathinones, methylphenidate…)
Non-stabilized psychiatric disorder or somatic disease, which is considered incompatible with inclusion by the investigator
Current treatment with methylphenidate, modafinil, solriamfetol, melatonin pitolisant, naltrexone, or bupropion.
Contraindication to light therapy: retinopathy, pigmentary retinitis, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma, recent (i.e., less than three month) eye surgery. (If there is any doubt about an ophthalmological contraindication, a specialist opinion will be requested)
Tutorship
Pregnant or breastfeeding women: the performance of a pregnancy test before inclusion for women of childbearing age
Persons deprived of their liberty by a judicial or administrative decision
Persons participating in other research with an exclusion period still in progress at pre-inclusion

Where it is running

Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier — Bron, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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