Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder with blue narrow-band light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
by
Glickman G, Byrne B, Pineda C, Hauck WW, Brainard GC.
Department of Neurology,
Thomas Jefferson University,
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Mar 15;59(6):502-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: While light has proven an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), an optimal wavelength combination has not been determined. Short wavelength light (blue) has demonstrated potency as a stimulus for acute melatonin suppression and circadian phase shifting. METHODS: This study tested the efficacy of short wavelength light therapy for SAD. Blue light emitting diode (LED) units produced 468 nm light at 607 microW/cm2 (27 nm half-peak bandwidth); dim red LED units provided 654 nm at 34 microW/cm2 (21 nm half-peak bandwidth). Patients with major depression with a seasonal pattern, a score of > or =20 on the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-SAD version (SIGH-SAD) and normal sleeping patterns (routine bedtimes between 10:00 pm and midnight) received 45 minutes of morning light treatment daily for 3 weeks. Twenty-four patients completed treatment following random assignment of condition (blue vs. red light). The SIGH-SAD was administered weekly. RESULTS: Mixed-effects analyses of covariance determined that the short wavelength light treatment decreased SIGH-SAD scores significantly more than the dimmer red light condition (F = 6.45, p = .019 for average over the post-treatment times). CONCLUSIONS: Narrow bandwidth blue light at 607 microW/cm2 outperforms dimmer red light in reversing symptoms of major depression with a seasonal pattern.

SAD
Folate
Ginkgo
Reward
Valerian
Exercise
Cannabis
Hypericum
Herbal highs
St John's wort
Panax ginseng
Passion flower
Herbal medicines
Bright light therapy/depression
Bright light vs fluoxetine (Prozac)
How light deprivation causes depression
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): a clinical update

Refs
and further reading

HOME
HedWeb
Nootropics
cocaine.wiki
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
MDMA/Ecstasy
Superhapiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World

The Good Drug Guide
The Responsible Parent's Guide
To Healthy Mood Boosters For All The Family