Chromatic Retinal Stimulation to Help With Chronic Pain
Official title: Chromatic Retinal Stimulation to Reduce Chronic Pain and Pain Sensitivity
Run by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · NCT05956067 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether different color light delivered to the retina can reduce pain and pain sensitivity in adults with fibromyalgia or chronic low back pain.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 25, 2023 |
| Main results expected | October 1, 2027 |
| Study ends | October 9, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | November 2, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05956067 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults 18–65 with fibromyalgia or chronic low back pain and average pain >4/10 who can reliably wear the light stimulator for 2 hours daily for 5 days.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals with vision disorders, color blindness, pregnancy, or barriers to daily device use may not experience benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants with chronic pain will wear a portable wide-field light device delivering one of three uniform light stimuli for five days. The study aims to understand how retinal light affects pain pathways and to inform future light-based pain therapies. It uses three stimulation conditions: green light, equal-energy white light, and S-cone–modulating white light, to see which is most effective at lowering pain. Enrolled adults are 18–65 with a baseline pain rating above 4/10 and must be able to consent and complete questionnaires. The trial is conducted at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, led by UNC with no listed collaborators.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants may experience reduced pain severity and sensitivity during or after the light therapy period.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has explored light-based therapies for pain, but this retinal approach is relatively novel and its efficacy is still being established.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults greater than or equal to 18 and less than or equal to 65. * Individuals who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic low back pain by their physician. * Individuals who experience an average pain severity greater than 4/10 in intensity at baseline. * Willingness to wear a battery-operated portable ganzfeld light stimulator device for 2 hours per day at the same time each day (ideally complete the light therapy session between 5 am-10 am each morning) for 5 days. * Alert and oriented, and able to provide informed consent * Ability to read and speak English to complete validated questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: * Vision disorders or conditions resulting in severe vision impairment or blindness * Individuals with self-report of color blindness * Prisoner Status * Pregnancy * No other history or condition that would, in the investigator's judgment, indicate that the patient would very likely be non-compliant with the study or unsuitable for the study (e.g., might interfere with the study, confound interpretation, or endanger the patient). * History of seizure disorder
Where it's running
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University Of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Matthew C Mauck, MD, PhD — University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Matthew C Mauck, MD, PhD
- Email: matt_mauck@med.unc.edu
- Phone: 919-966-5136
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.