Bright Light Therapy During Inpatient Cocaine Detoxification

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Cocaine-Related Disorders

Interventions

DEVICE

Medical light therapy device

The light therapy used in this study will be the DAYVIA SUNACTIV 2® glasses. This medical device with CE marking, emits a safe cyan light peaked at 500 nm and intensity of 1200 lux (Maximum intensity mode) allowing melanopic efficiency of 361,91 μW/cm². Only one mode is allowed to prevent the patient from changing the setting: 30 minutes sessions with an intensity of 1200 lux. At the end of a session the glasses start flashing for 3 seconds to indicate that it is over and then automatically turn off. The placebo is an attenuated model with a yellow wave length (600nm) and a very low intensity (33 lux) unable to activate the photoreceptors and therefore devoid of psychotropic or hypnotic effect.

DEVICE

Medical light therapy device sham

The placebo is an attenuated model with a yellow wave length (600nm) and a very low intensity (33 lux) unable to activate the photoreceptors and therefore devoid of psychotropic or hypnotic effect.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hôpital le Vinatier

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• BENJAMIN ROLLAND, MD, PhD · Centre Hospitalier le Vinatier

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-09-12

Primary Completion

2029-09-30

Completion

2029-12-30

Countries

• France

Study Locations