[Changes of sleep quality and mood disorders under the influence of phototherapy in patients with seasonal affective disorders SAD].

Mar 23, 2005Psychiatria polska

Changes in Sleep Quality and Mood in Seasonal Depression Patients During Light Therapy

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗

Abstract

A 57% improvement in mood was reported by patients after 14 days of phototherapy for seasonal affective disorder.

Phototherapy involved exposure to 10,000 lux light for 30 minutes each morning.
Patients exhibited increased sleep efficiency following treatment.
Sleep latency and slow wave sleep latency both decreased after phototherapy.
An increase in sleep spindles was observed during the first hour of sleep.
Results suggest that phototherapy may be an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder.

AI simplified

UNLABELLED: Major depression, seasonal pattern (seasonal affective disorder SAD) characterize the winter recurrence depressive episodes with remission of symptoms in spring and summer. Patients with winter depression report hypersomnia, fatigue, loss of energy, carbohydrate craving, appetite and weight gain.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of phototherapy on the quality of sleep parameters and subjective estimation of mood disorders in patients with seasonal affective disorders.

METHOD: The investigated group consisted of 17 patients with SAD (15 female, 2 male) aged 18-64 (mean 38+/-12) years. Phototherapy (bright light therapy) was applied for 14 days, everyday morning--30 minutes, between 6.00 to 10.00--exposition to light of about 10,000 lux intensity. Polysomnogram (sleep EEG) was recorded before and after treatment.

RESULTS: After phototherapy patients reported a significant mood improvement (57%) measured by the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire. Sleep investigation showed: increased sleep efficiency, decreased sleep latency, decreased slow wave sleep latency and increased of sleep spindles in the first hour of sleep.

CONCLUSIONS: Research confirms that phototherapy is an effective method of treatment of choice for patients with SAD. The result indicates that phototherapy markedly improved mood and sleep quality.

[Changes of sleep quality and mood disorders under the influence of phototherapy in patients with seasonal affective disorders SAD].

Abstract

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief