Chromatic Retinal Stimulation to Reduce Chronic Pain and Pain Sensitivity
Key facts
- Where
- Chapel Hill, United StatesSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 65 years old?
Source: NCT05956067, who can take part
Where in United States
- University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, United StatesContact: Matthew C Mauck, MD PhDTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Trial code
- NCT05956067
- Record updated
- 2 November 2026
- Original description
Participants with chronic pain conditions including chronic low back pain and fibromyalgia may benefit from light stimuli presented to the retina to reduce chronic pain severity and pain sensitivity. Participants will be recruited into this study and will be presented with one of three uniform light stimuli via a wide-field ganzfeld in three conditions to determine the retinal mechanisms that reduce pain. This work will lead to a greater understanding of retinal mechanisms that contribute to pain and will assist the design of future studies to harness the potential of light based pain therapies.Read full original descriptionShow less
Participants with chronic pain conditions including chronic low back pain and fibromyalgia may benefit from light stimuli presented to the retina to reduce chronic pain severity and pain sensitivity. Participants will be recruited into this study and will be presented with one of three uniform light stimuli via a wide-field ganzfeld in three conditions to determine the retinal mechanisms that reduce pain. This work will lead to a greater understanding of retinal mechanisms that contribute to pain and will assist the design of future studies to harness the potential of light based pain therapies.
Inclusion: 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: Vision disorders or conditions resulting in severe vision impairment or blindness; 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; Individuals with self-report of color blindness; Prisoner Status; Pregnancy.