Bright Light Therapy During Inpatient Cocaine Detoxification

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

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.

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.

Study 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.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Percentage of cocaine-free days (PCFD) over the one-month follow-up — One month
  Both cocaine abstinence and reduced frequency of cocaine use, measured as fewer days of use per week, were associated with significant clinical benefits across psychological, family, employment, and legal domains
• Time taken before the first relapse — One month
  Use of cocaine, of any kind
• Proportion of continuous cocaine abstinent patients during the one-month follow-up period — One month
  Abstinence rate

Trial sites (1)

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