Testing Blue Light with Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Refractory Epilepsy
Tests whether blue light changes vagus nerve stimulation effects in adults with refractory epilepsy.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Effect of Blue Light on Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Refractory Epilepsy
Key facts
- Where
- Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, BelgiumSee the site
AI summary: who the study is looking for
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults aged 18 to 60 who have had a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implant for refractory epilepsy for at least 3 months, and also healthy volunteers aged 18 to 35.
- Age
- Patients: over 18 up to 60 years. Healthy participants: 18 to 35 years.
- Sex
- All sexes can join.
- Disease stage
- Patients have refractory epilepsy and a VNS implant in place for at least 3 months.
- Earlier treatment
- Patients must have had a VNS implant for at least 3 months.
- Biomarker or test result
- Patients need an IQ above 55 on the Wechsler scale (normal or mild cognitive impairment).
Main reasons for not taking part
- Patients with a medical implanted device other than VNS
- Patients with eye diseases
- Healthy participants with a medical implanted device
- Healthy participants with a brain injury (cerebral trauma)
- Healthy participants with eye diseases
Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
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 60 years old?
Source: NCT06304389, who can take part
Where in Belgium
- Cliniques universitaires Saint-LucWoluwe-Saint-Lambert, BelgiumContact: Inci Cakiroglu, Phd studentTaking 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
- Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain
- Trial code
- NCT06304389
- Record updated
- 2 November 2026
- Original description
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive treatment for refractory epilepsy. Although widely used, there is still a substantial number of patients with insufficient response. Light, and particularly blue light, can stimulate alertness, attention and cognition through modulation of anatomical targets which are common to the vagal afferent network. This project aims at understanding how exposure to blue enriched light may influence VNS effects in patients with refractory epilepsy by exploring the modulation of a series of biomarkers of VNS action. This could possibly lead to new therapeutic strategies to increase efficacy of VNS.Read full original descriptionShow less
Effect of Blue Light on Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Refractory Epilepsy
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive treatment for refractory epilepsy. Although widely used, there is still a substantial number of patients with insufficient response. Light, and particularly blue light, can stimulate alertness, attention and cognition through modulation of anatomical targets which are common to the vagal afferent network. This project aims at understanding how exposure to blue enriched light may influence VNS effects in patients with refractory epilepsy by exploring the modulation of a series of biomarkers of VNS action. This could possibly lead to new therapeutic strategies to increase efficacy of VNS.
Inclusion: Patients:; VNS implanted since at least 3 months age >18-60 years; IQ >55 on Wechsler scale (normal status or mild cognitive impairment); healthy participants aged between 18 and 35 years without any medical history (neurological / psychiatric disease).
Exclusion: other medical implanted devices than VNS, ocular diseases; medical implanted devices, cerebral trauma, ocular disease; Patients:; Helthy participants:.