Effects of light treatment on circadian rhythmicity in seasonal affective disorder

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Partonen ◽  
B Appelberg ◽  
S Kajaste ◽  
M Partinen ◽  
M Härmä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
Antidepressant Effect ◽  
Treatment Intervention ◽  
Subjective Sleepiness ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Bright Light Exposure

SummaryTwelve outpatients with seasonal affective disorder were treated by 1-h morning bright light exposure for 5 days. The light treatment intervention produced a significant phase advance of self-rated sleepiness rhythm, a significant decrease of the mean level of subjective sleepiness, and a significant reduction of depression scores. No significant objective circadian rhythm phase shift nor amplitude changes would account for the antidepressant effect.

scholarly journals Precision Light for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevag Kaladchibachi ◽  
Fabian Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Internal Clock ◽  
Light Pulses ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Flexible Architectures ◽  
Bright Light Exposure

Circadian timekeeping can be reset by brief flashes of light using stimulation protocols thousands of times shorter than those previously assumed to be necessary for traditional phototherapy. These observations point to a future where flexible architectures of nanosecond-, microsecond-, and millisecond-scale light pulses are compiled to reprogram the brain’s internal clock when it has been altered by psychiatric illness or advanced age. In the current review, we present a chronology of seminal experiments that established the synchronizing influence of light on the human circadian system and the efficacy of prolonged bright-light exposure for reducing symptoms associated with seasonal affective disorder. We conclude with a discussion of the different ways that precision flashes could be parlayed during sleep to effect neuroadaptive changes in brain function. This article is a contribution to a special issue onCircadian Rhythms in Regulation of Brain Processes and Role in Psychiatric Disorderscurated by editors Shimon Amir, Karen Gamble, Oliver Stork, and Harry Pantazopoulos.

Will light brighten the future of the depressed patient?

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.H. Van Den Hoofdakker ◽  
M.C.M. Gordijn
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
Psychosocial Variable ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Treatment Experiment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Therapeutic Possibilities

The present explosive growth of interest in the therapeutic possibilities of exposure to light was triggered by a patient, Herbert Kern. He suffered from episodic depressive and manic complaints and discovered, by registering these over the years, a seasonal pattern in their occurrence. Discussions with scientists of the NIMH resulted in his participation in a bright light-treatment experiment when he was depressed in the winter of 1980-1981. He recovered.Next, the same group of investigators defined the criteria for a new syndrome, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): a history of major affective disorder (according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria), at least two consecutive years in which the depressions have occurred during fall or winter and remitted in the following spring or summer, and the absence of any clear-cut seasonally changing psychosocial variable, such as work, stress and so on.

Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder with Light in the Evening

1985 ◽  
Vol 147 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven P. James ◽  
Thomas A. Wehr ◽  
David A. Sack ◽  
Barbara L. Parry ◽  
Norman E. Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Antidepressant Effect ◽  
Comparison Study ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Dim Light ◽  
Effect Of Light

A cross-over comparison study of exposure, in the evenings only, to bright versus dim light was carried out on nine female patients with seasonal affective disorder. A significant antidepressant effect of the bright lights was shown. No consistent observable effects were produced by the dim lights. These results support earlier studies demonstrating the efficacy of bright light given morning and evening. The antidepressant effect of light is not mediated by sleep deprivation, and the early morning hours are not crucial for a response.

Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder with Light: Preliminary Australian Experience

1989 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain M. McIntyre ◽  
Stuart M. Armstrong ◽  
Trevor R. Norman ◽  
Graham D. Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Significant Clinical Improvement ◽  
History Of ◽  
Australian Experience

Six patients with a history of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) were treated with bright artificial light. Patients presented with at least two consecutive years of loss of energy, difficulty in working, loss of interest in activities, difficulty in concentrating, increased somnolence, over-eating (carbohydrate craving) and depressed mood. All received seven consecutive days of full-spectrum bright light with an intensity greater than 2,500 lux at a distance of three feet. Evening exposure for two hours resulted in significant clinical improvement. The main improvements were a return to normal sleeping patterns, a reduction in eating habits, improved energy level, a desire to continue with interests and activities and an improvement in mood. Possible mechanisms for the clinical effects of bright light treatment are discussed.

Effects of light treatment upon mood and melatonin in patients with seasonal affective disorder

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Winton ◽  
T. Corn ◽  
L. W. Huson ◽  
C. Franey ◽  
J. Arendt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
Antidepressant Effect ◽  
Winter Depression ◽  
Plasma Melatonin ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Depression Ratings ◽  
Effect Of Light

SynopsisTen patients with seasonal affective disorder received the following treatments for 5 days each: (a) artificial daylight (2500 lux) from 20.00 to 23.00 and from 07.00 to 10.00 hours; (b) red light (300 lux) from 20.00 to 23.00 and from 07.00 to 10.00 hours; (c) artificial daylight (2500 lux) from 22.00 to 23.00 and from 07.00 to 08.00 hours. The antidepressant effect of treatment (a) was superior to that of treatment (b), suggesting that the effect of light treatment in winter depression is more than that of a placebo. The antidepressant effect of treatment (a) was superior to that of treatment (c), although these two treatments equally suppressed plasma melatonin concentrations. Consequently, in these patients there is a dissociation between the effect of light treatment on melatonin and the reduction of depression ratings.

scholarly journals Clinical applications of melatonin in circadian disorders

2003 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-413
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Circadian Phase ◽  
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome ◽  
Melatonin Administration ◽  
Delayed Sleep Phase ◽  
Delayed Sleep ◽  
Total Blindness ◽  
Bright Light Exposure

Chronobiological disorders and syndromes include seasonal affective disorder (SAD), total blindness, advanced and delayed sleep phase syndrome, jet lag, and shift work maladaptation. These disorders are treated by adjusting circadian phase, using appropriately timed bright light exposure and melatonin administration (at doses of 0.5 mg or less). In some cases, it may be necessary to measure internal circadían phase, using the time when endogenous melatonin levels rise.

Is Seasonal Affective Disorder a Disorder of Circadian Rhythms?

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 487-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. Desan ◽  
Dan A. Oren
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Phase Shift ◽  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Bright Light Therapy ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractSeasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that starts in the fall and ends in the spring. This article reviews existing theories about the relationship between circadian rhythms and the disorder. Recent research indicates that as with pharmacologic antidepressants, at least 2–4 weeks are needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of bright-light therapy compared to placebo. The response to such treatment is strongest with precisely timed light exposure: treatment is optimal during the morning hours when the circadian systemt is susceptible to phase advance. Such clinical improvement is correlated with the magnitude of the phase shift induced. These observations suggest a model of circadian function in SAD and provide important guidelines for its treatment.

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