Dynamic lighting to improve sleep and circadian rhythm in frail older adults
Official title: Light in Frail Elderly - the Effect of a Dynamic Light for Sleep and Circadian Rhythm
Run by Region Skane · NCT05107947 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This test will try dynamic, spectrum-changing hospital room lighting to improve sleep and circadian rhythms for people aged 65 and older during their hospital stay.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 65 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 300 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Region Skane Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Malmö) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 31, 2022 |
| Main results expected | March 2028 |
| Study ends | September 2028 |
| Registry record updated | January 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05107947 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are patients aged 65 or older admitted to participating internal medicine or orthopedic rooms at Skåne University Hospital who can give consent and understand Swedish and are not taking excluded medications.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with severe visual impairment, acute neurological disease, those on excluded medications (for Parkinson's, neuroleptics, dementia), those taking melatonin, or with expected survival under five days are unlikely to receive benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized, prospective study will enroll 300 patients aged 65 and older admitted to internal medicine or orthopedic wards at Skåne University Hospital Malmö and randomize rooms to biocentric dynamic lighting or standard lighting. The intervention changes spectral distribution and intensity across the day to provide a high circadian stimulus in the morning (up to ~1000 lux and up to 6500 K) and reduced intensity and color temperature in the evening, while control rooms have the system turned off. Primary outcomes include diurnal melatonin variation and sleep-related measures (sleep duration and quality); secondary outcomes include psychological and cognitive function. Measurements are taken during the hospital stay over the planned October–February period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could improve circadian alignment, sleep quality, daytime function, and potentially speed recovery for hospitalized older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior light-therapy and circadian lighting studies in older adults have shown promise for improving sleep and rhythms, but dynamic, room-level spectral lighting in hospitals is relatively novel with mixed but encouraging evidence.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Over the age of 65 years * Admitted to one of the included study rooms Exclusion Criteria: * Overdose addictive substance * Acute neurological disease * Melatonin treatment * Probable survival \<5 days * Severe visual impairment that makes reading impossible * Age \<65 years * Inability to understand Swedish in speech and writing * Inability to consent to participate in the study * The patient is on any of the following medicines: * Medications for Parkinson's disease * Neuroleptics (including lithium) * Dementia
Where it's running
-
Skåne University Hospital Malmö
Malmö, Sweden Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Madeleine Selvander, MD, PhD — Lunds Universitet
- Study coordinator: Madeleine Selvander, MD, PhD
- Email: madeleine.selvander@med.lu.se
- Phone: +4640 33 32 27
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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.