Literally shining a light on a darkened mind may help older patients with major depression -- with three weeks of home-based light therapy producing a significant improvement in mood and sleep, according to the results of a Dutch randomized trial.
The trial, conducted among almost 90 outpatients ages 60 and older treated for major depressive disorder (MDD), also showed that the positive effects associated with light therapy persisted during three weeks of follow-up after the treatment ended (P=0.01 to P<0.001), Ritsaert Lieverse, MD, of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, and colleagues reported.
"We showed that bright-light therapy had beneficial effects in elderly patients with nonseasonal major depressive disorder and found indirect support for the contention that therapeutic effects may in part be mediated by enhancements of circadian system functioning," Lieverse and co-authors commented.
"These results support inclusion of chronotherapeutic strategies in the treatment options for nonseasonal major depressive disorder in elderly patients. Bright light treatment may provide a viable alternative for patients who refuse, resist, or do not tolerate antidepressant treatment," the team concluded.
Complete Article
No comments:
Post a Comment