Light therapy effective for depression, New research

A new study suggests light therapy can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for those suffering from depression. This disorder is ranked as the second cause of disability all over the world as it affects five percent of the population, experts said. “It has benefits when used alone but is especially effective when combined with an antidepressant”.

“Light therapy is a low-priced treatment option with few side-effects, and our findings show it could benefit many patients with MDD”, said Levitt, adding that researchers were surprised by just how effective the combination treatment proved to be.

For the study, researchers followed 122 patients with non-seasonal major depressive disorder over eight weeks and observed whether light therapy improved the moods of patients when it was used both with and without the antidepressant fluoxetine, or Prozac. The second group involved treatment with placebo light therapy and antidepressants.

“In the combination group what we saw was continued improvement each week across the eight weeks”.

The same may be true for nonseasonal depression, Lam said.

Light is also believed to affect neurotransmitters in the brain.

“In this case, the authors found that the light treatment, whether delivered alone or particularly when delivered in combination with an antidepressant medication, was efficacious in the treatment of nonseasonal [depression] and, just as important, the treatments were well-tolerated by the subjects”, Rego said.

Lam said researchers carried out the study throughout the year, and found no differences in the effect of the light box depending on the season. The combination treatment had the best outcomes, according to the study’s authors.

Those who suffer from depression may have another, much less expensive, treatment option on their hands to ward off the mental illness’ distressing symptoms. A few insurance plans cover them, he said. The participants were randomly assigned to receive one of four treatments: light monotherapy with a 10,000-lux fluorescent white light box for 30 minutes in the morning, and a placebo pill; antidepressant monotherapy with fluoxetine and an inactive negative ion generator; both the light and fluoxetine; or a placebo pill and inactive negative ion generator. Lam said this can be done while eating breakfast or working on the computer.

The study was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Lam reports serving as a consultant to or receiving honoraria for speaking from various pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly and Co., which makes Prozac.