Bright light therapy is an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder, an uncommon condition marked by mild winter depression. Bright lights have been used as adjuncts in the pharmacological treatment of other types of depressive illness. The rooms in our psychiatric inpatient unit are so placed that half are bright and [...]
Specific behavioral consequences of seasonal affective disorder have not been closely examined. Length of daylight is evaluated in relation to medication errors in a medical center located in the far north. Factors such as numbers of patient admissions, discharges, and deaths were controlled with data collected in Anchorage, Alaska, over 5 [...]
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of light therapy for the treatment of pediatric seasonal affective disorder (SAD). METHOD: 28 children (aged 7 to 17 years) at two geographically distinct sites were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of bright-light treatment. Subjects initially entered a week-long baseline period during which they [...]
The eye's retina contains light receptors known as cones and rods. These receptors receive light, convert it to chemical energy, and activate the nerves that send messages to the brain. They were thought to be the only photoreceptors in the retina. "When we began to do our work, we knew there [...]
“For many patients with SAD [Seasonal Affective Disorder], light therapy should be regarded as a first-line treatment, given its high success and acceptance rate.” Journal of the American Medical Association, v. 270, #22, pp. 2717-20 For more information, please contact: Sunshine Sciences PO Box 19917 Boulder, CO 80308 303 834-9161 [...]
Several very recent studies, most notably research from a team headed by Dr. George Brainard at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, have identified the specific wavelengths of blue light, 446-477nm, that are crucial in suppressing melatonin production in humans.1, 2, 3, 4 As Dr. Brainard notes, “This discovery will have [...]
Ten million people in the US can attest to the fact that the waning hours of sunlight in winter can provoke a dip in mood that may progress to full-fledged depression. Now a research team at Baker Heart Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, has provided experimental evidence to support the long-suspected [...]