Early response to light therapy partially predicts long-term antidepressant effects in patients with seasonal affective disorder.

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L Sher; J R Matthews; E H Turner; T T Postolache; K S Katz; N E Rosenthal (Profiled Author: Teodor T Postolache)

Section on Biological Rhythms, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md., USA. leosher@neuron.cpmc.columbia.edu
Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN 2001;26(4):336-8.

PubMed

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the antidepressant effect of 1 hour of light therapy is predictive of the response after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). PATIENTS: Twelve patients with SAD. SETTING: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Md. INTERVENTIONS: Light therapy for 2 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: Scores on the Seasonal Affective Disorder Version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (SIGH-SAD) on 4 occasions (before and after 1 hour of light therapy and after 1 and 2 weeks of therapy) in the winter when the patients were depressed. Change on typical and atypical depressive scores at these time points were compared. RESULTS: Improvement of atypical depressive symptoms after 1 hour of light therapy positively correlated with improvement after 2 weeks of therapy. CONCLUSION: In patients with SAD, the early response to light therapy may predict some aspects of long-term response to light therapy, but these results should be treated with caution until replicated.

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