<narrow band blue light>
Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder with blue narrow-band light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Glickman G, Byrne B, Pineda C, Hauck WW, Brainard GC.
Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
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.
PMID: 16165105 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Mar 15;59(6):502-7. Epub 2005 Sep 13.
This is the major development in the last 10 years in light therapy..this company apollolight.com has been running most of the clinic trials in SAD..I'm going to try this type light this winter..I bought a traditional light box from them in the 90's,, |
