Comparing Negative ion therapy with Light therapy for major depressive disorder, recurrent, in remission
Official title: Light and Ion Maintenance In Treatment for Depression (LIMIT-D): Feasibility Study
Interventions
Negative ion therapy
Negative ion generator
Light therapy
Fluorescent light box
Canadian Sites (1)
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for17 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria for MDD, as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID).
- +Taking a first-line antidepressant at approved doses (Table 1), with dose unchanged in the past month.
- +Participant desire to discontinue antidepressant treatment because of adverse effects or other reasons;
- +In remission as defined by score ≤10 on the clinician-rated Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at both the screening visitScreeningThe checks done before joining, to see whether a study fits.Read more → and baseline visitBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, at least 2 weeks apart.
- +Willing and able to complete self-report and online assessments including sufficient fluency in English or French.
Exclusion
- −Any psychiatric diagnosis other than MDD that is considered the primary diagnosis, including Bipolar I or Bipolar-II (lifetime). Note that comorbid anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder) will not be excluded if the anxiety disorder is not the primary diagnosis.
- −Diagnosis of MDD with seasonal pattern (i.e., seasonal affective disorder, SAD) or with psychotic features (lifetime).
- −Significant personality disorder diagnosis \[e.g., antisocial\] by MINI and clinical assessment.
- −High suicidal risk, defined by clinician judgment.
- −History of alcohol or substance use disorder, with a severity of at least moderate or severe, within 6 months before screeningScreeningThe checks done before joining, to see whether a study fits.Read more →.
- −Significant neurological disorders, head trauma, or other unstable medical conditions.
- −Regular use of psychotropic medication other than an antidepressant or benzodiazepines (e.g., antipsychotics, mood stabilizers); Note - Stimulant medications for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are allowed if dose is stable in past month.
- −History of severe antidepressant discontinuation effects.
- −Retinal disease or other eye condition (e.g., macular degeneration) precluding the use of bright light treatment.
- −Use of photosensitizing medication (thioridazine, chloroquine, 8-methoxypsoralen) within 1 week of baseline visitBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →.
- −Initiated formal psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioural therapy) within 3 months of Visit 1, or who plan to initiate psychotherapy during the study.
- −Continued use of any other evidence-based treatment for depression.
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
What is being given or done in this study: Negative ion therapy, Light therapy.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
- armsInterventionsModule.interventions[].name
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
Neither you nor the study team would know which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives an existing treatment, so the two can be compared.
There are 2 groups in this study.
From the trial registry
Built from this field:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Who the study is looking for
The study lists an age range of 19 years to 65 years.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 100 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around June 2027.
The main measurement is taken over: 36 months.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Recruitment rate — measured over 36 months.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT05423275 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About Negative ion therapyDevice
Negative ion generator
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Light therapyDevice
Fluorescent light box
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: an age range of 19 years to 65 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives an existing treatment so the two can be compared.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
Neither you nor the study team would know which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists an age range of 19 years to 65 years.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: 36 months.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2027-06.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 100 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Antidepressants are widely used as first-line treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). Clinical guidelines recommend 6-24 months of "maintenance" antidepressant treatment, after patients achieve symptom remission, to prevent relapse but many people stop antidepressants too soon relapse into another depressive episode. We will test non-medication treatments, negative ion therapy and light therapy, to see they can substitute for antidepressants to prevent relapse. This is a "feasibility" study to see if participants use study treatments properly, before doing a larger, definitive trial. In this 28-week study, 100 participants with MDD who are in remission with antidepressants will be treated with light therapy or negative ion therapy (with half of devices active and half inactive) while slowly discontinuing the antidepressant, and monitored for relapse.
Worth passing on?
Save it to the Care Package and send it to them, or to their doctor, in one message. Whether they follow it up is theirs to decide.
Review the Care PackageThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.