An interventional study of Patient-controlled ambient light (Serene Sphere) in Anxiety and Skin Neoplasms, sponsored by Stanford University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-26.
Sponsored by Stanford University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
Many patients feel anxious while waiting to see a dermatologist, especially in clinics that diagnose and treat skin cancer. The purpose of this study was to learn whether spending 10 minutes before the visit in an exam room lit by a tabletop colored-light device, which patients control themselves, lowers anxiety compared with usual room lighting. Adult patients at one Stanford dermatology clinic were assigned by clinic week: during intervention weeks the device was on and patients could choose its color and brightness with a handheld remote; during control weeks the room had standard lighting. Patients answered short questionnaires about how they felt when they arrived and again after 10 minutes in the room.
5,065 studies on the registry are indexed under Anxiety Disorders; 1,408 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 120 is above the median of 80 across 4,339 interventional studies indexed under Anxiety Disorders.
Browse Anxiety Disorders studies →Stanford University is the lead sponsor of 2,162 studies on the registry; 429 are open to participants now.
Of its 267 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 207 (78%) have results posted.
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Participants spent 10 minutes alone in the examination room with the ambient light device switched on and could change its color and brightness with a handheld remote, after a brief demonstration by research staff.
Other: Patient-controlled ambient light (Serene Sphere)
Participants spent 10 minutes alone in the examination room under standard clinic lighting; the light device was not switched on and no remote was provided. The same anxiety questionnaires and vital signs were collected on arrival and after 10 minutes as in the intervention arm.
Tabletop ambient light with a frosted diffusing dome that fills the examination room with soft colored light at standard indoor brightness. A handheld remote lets the participant choose among preset color themes and adjust brightness. Research staff switched it on and briefly demonstrated the remote; the participant then spent 10 minutes alone in the room before any provider encounter. The device does not touch the participant or collect any data.
Also known as: Serene Sphere
Change in State Anxiety (STAI-6) Score
Six-item short form of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6), prorated to a 20-80 scale; higher scores indicate more anxiety. Change = score after 10 minutes in the examination room minus score on arrival, compared between arms.
Time frame: On arrival (before exposure) and 10 minutes later, before the provider encounter
Change in Anxiety Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) Score
Single-item 0-10 numeric rating of anxiety about the appointment; higher scores indicate more anxiety. Change = score after 10 minutes in the examination room minus score on arrival, compared between arms.
Time frame: On arrival (before exposure) and 10 minutes later, before the provider encounter
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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