Background
Abnormalities of the circadian rest-activity cycle are hypothesized to accompany the
clinical picture of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The purpose of this study was
to investigate if bright light therapy (BLT) is able to reverse these disturbances.
Methods
Seventeen SAD outpatients and 17 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects were
treated with BLT administered in the morning for 4 weeks. Activity levels were measured
with wrist actigraphy.
Results
SAD patients had 33% lower total (p = .031) and 43% lower daylight activity (p = .006) in week 1 compared with control subjects. The relative amplitude of the sleep-wake
cycle was attenuated by 6% in patients (p = .025); they were phase delayed by 55 minutes (p = .023) and had significantly lower sleep efficiency (p = .030). Total (p = .002) and daylight activity (p = .001) increased after 4 weeks of treatment in SAD patients. Moreover, BLT led to
increase of relative amplitude (p = .005), advance of delayed rhythms (p = .036), and improved sleep efficiency (p = .011) in patients. Intradaily stability, measuring the strength of coupling of
the rhythm to external zeitgebers, increased by 9% both in patients and healthy control
subjects (p = .032).
Conclusions
Treatment with BLT normalizes disturbed activity patterns and restores circadian rhythms
in SAD patients. BLT might also stabilize the circadian rhythm in nondepressed individuals
during the fall-winter season.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 14, 2005
Accepted:
January 20,
2005
Received in revised form:
December 10,
2004
Received:
September 28,
2004
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
