Antidepressant chronotherapeutics in a group of drug free outpatients

May 14, 2016Psychiatry research

Timing-based antidepressant treatments in patients not using medication

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Abstract

A significant decrease in depression severity was observed in 27 outpatient participants following Total Sleep Deprivation and Light Therapy.

Total Sleep Deprivation combined with Light Therapy may effectively reduce depressive symptoms in outpatients.
Patient depression severity was assessed using the Back Depression Inventory Scale at baseline, one week, and three months post-treatment.
Significant improvements in depression scores were found one week and three months after treatment compared to baseline.
The observed effects were consistent across seven independent groups, indicating potential repeatability of the findings.
Chronotherapeutics may be a viable option for treating depression, as evidenced by the significant symptom improvement.

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The combination of Total Sleep Deprivation (TSD) and Light Therapy (LT) has been shown to prevent the early relapses characterizing response to TSD. Despite their proved efficacy, TSD and LT are still far from being considered standard therapy in the inpatient units and no study has assessed their efficacy and feasibility in outpatient settings. We studied 27 drug-free out-patients affected by Major Depression, divided in 7 groups according to the date of the wake night. Patients were administered one night of TSD and received LT during consecutive mornings following a predictive algorithm based on Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire scores. Severity of depression was rated on Back Depression Inventory Scale (BDI) at baseline, one week and three months after the end of treatment. BDI scores significantly decreased during treatment with no difference between the seven consecutively treated groups of patients. Significant differences in BDI scores were confirmed between the baseline and both one week and three months after the end of treatment. TSD and LT caused a significant amelioration of depressive symptoms in an outpatient setting. Similar effects were observed in seven independent groups, suggesting that there is repeatability in findings. Chronotherapeutics confirmed their efficacy in the treatment of depression.

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Antidepressant chronotherapeutics in a group of drug free outpatients

Abstract

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