Mood and behavioral effects of four-week light treatment in winter depressives and controls

Bauer, Mark S.; Kurtz, James; Rubin, Lisa B.; Marcus, Judith G.

doi:10.1016/0022-3956(94)90025-6

Cited by 41 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Our results are similar to those of Eastman et al [4], who observed a significant difference in response rate at Week 3 and 4. Most studies of light therapy for SAD have been 1 or 2 weeks in duration, but gradual onset of response was observed in the 4 week trial by Bauer et al [25], and in the 8 week trial by Lam et al [5]. It is possible that an 8 week trial would have shown a further increased therapeutic response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A controlled trial of the Litebook light-emitting diode (LED) light therapy device for treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

et al. 2007

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BackgroundRecent research has emphasized that the human circadian rhythm system is differentially sensitive to short wavelength light. Light treatment devices using efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) whose output is relatively concentrated in short wavelengths may enable a more convenient effective therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).MethodsThe efficacy of a LED light therapy device in the treatment of SAD was tested in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial. Participants aged 18 to 65 with SAD (DSM-IV major depression with seasonal pattern) were seen at Baseline and Randomization visits separated by 1 week, and after 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks of treatment. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores (SIGH-SAD) were obtained at each visit. Participants with SIGH-SAD of 20 or greater at Baseline and Randomization visits were randomized to active or control treatment: exposure to the Litebook LED treatment device (The Litebook Company Ltd., Alberta, Canada) which delivers 1,350 lux white light (with spectral emission peaks at 464 nm and 564 nm) at a distance of 20 inches or to an inactivated negative ion generator at a distance of 20 inches, for 30 minutes a day upon awakening and prior to 8 A.M.ResultsOf the 26 participants randomized, 23 completed the trial. Mean group SIGH-SAD scores did not differ significantly at randomization. At trial end, the proportions of participants in remission (SIGH-SAD less than 9) were significantly greater (Fisher's exact test), and SIGH-SAD scores, as percent individual score at randomization, were significantly lower (t-test), with active treatment than with control, both in an intent-to-treat analysis and an observed cases analysis. A longitudinal repeated measures ANOVA analysis of SIGH-SAD scores also indicated a significant interaction of time and treatment, showing superiority of the Litebook over the placebo condition.ConclusionThe results of this pilot study support the hypothesis that light therapy with the Litebook is an effective treatment for SAD.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov: NCT00139997

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A controlled trial of the Litebook light-emitting diode (LED) light therapy device for treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

et al. 2007

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“…It seems likely that treatment durations longer than 1 week would further magnify the improvement of atypical symptoms. Indeed, studies that have shown continued improvement across 4 weeks of light treatment (Eastman et al, 1993;Bauer et al, 1991) might reflect such gradual improvement in atypical symptoms. Elsewhere we have shown that atypical symptomatology is a positive predictor of response to light, while classical diurnal variation is a negative predictor (Terman, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One‐week light treatment of winter depression near its onset: The time course of relapse

Terman

Amira

1994

Depression

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One week of light treatment was given to 17 patients with seasonal aflective disorder, close to their times of episode onset in the fall or early winter. They were then withdrawn@om treatment f o r up to 8 weeks while symptom were monitored weekly. The clinical response to light was maintained for variable durations after termination of treatment, but symptoms ultimately returned f o r all srcbjects. Relapses-as dej?ned by criterion scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale f o r Depression, supplementary Atypical Symptom Scale, and combined SIGH-SAD scale--occurred across 1-8 weeks of withdrawal. The duration of improvement during withdrawal was correlated with the date of episode onset: initiation of treatment later in the faWwinter season led to longer delays to relapse, and patients with longer episode durations (and earlier episode onset) tended to show accelerated relapse. We were unable to confirm the Fndings of Meesters et al. (7 Aflect Dis 23:75-79, 1991; 3 Aflect Dis 29:4148, 1993b), who concluded that 5 days of light therapy early in the episode succeeded in preventing the development offilly syndromal depression as well as relapse during withdrawal throughout the winter. Depression 2:20-31 (1 994). 0 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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“…To induce a clear shift in circadian rhythms, 3 days of bright light exposure at the appropriate time of day, while preventing light exposure during the other sensitive parts of the phase response curve, are sufficient in healthy subjects (Czeisler et al, 1986;Dijk et al, 1987). Light therapy induces quick mood changes in seasonal affective disorders in about the same time span (3-5 days) (Meesters et al, 1995), although longer treatment durations have been reported to result in further improvement (Bauer et al, 1994;Labbate et al, 1995). Usually, improvement of nonseasonal depressive patients takes far more time.…”

Section: Limitations Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the Hypothesis of a Circadian Phase Disturbance Underlying Depressive Mood in Nonseasonal Depression

Gordijn¹,

Beersma²,

Korte³

et al. 1998

J Biol Rhythms

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In a crossover design, 8 nonseasonal depressed subjects, selected on the presence of diurnal mood variations, and 8 sex and age-matched controls were exposed to dim light (< 10 lux) in the evening (18:00-21:00 h) and bright light (2500 lux) in the morning (ML, 6:00-9:00 h), to dim light in the morning and bright light in the evening (EL), or to dim light both in the evening and in the morning (DL) during 3 consecutive days in each of these conditions. There were no initial phase differences between depressed and healthy subjects in the timing of dim light melatonin onset, sleep termination, and body temperature. The phase shifts after EL and ML in both healthy and depressed subjects were as expected on the basis of a human phase response curve. On average, there was no therapeutic effect of the light exposure in the depressed patients. Two patients improved, but these effects do not seem to be related to shifts in the circadian system.

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Mood and behavioral effects of four-week light treatment in winter depressives and controls

Cited by 41 publications

References 27 publications

A controlled trial of the Litebook light-emitting diode (LED) light therapy device for treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

A controlled trial of the Litebook light-emitting diode (LED) light therapy device for treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

One‐week light treatment of winter depression near its onset: The time course of relapse

Testing the Hypothesis of a Circadian Phase Disturbance Underlying Depressive Mood in Nonseasonal Depression

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