Abstract

BackgroundAbout 1 and 4 % of people suffering from depression is affected by bipolar disorder. Few patients respond to the first-line antidepressants, and a 4-week latency pharmacological treatment period has been observed. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of bright light therapy (BLT) in accelerating and increasing therapeutic response in patients with bipolar depression. MethodsA pilot study was conducted. Patients with bipolar depression, already treated with antidepressants, were included. The treatment group was composed of patients treated with antidepressants combined with BLT (30 min/4 days a week at 10,000 lx for eight weeks). The control group included patients treated with antidepressants with exposure to red light (30 min/4 days a week at a red light for eight weeks). MADRS, HAMD-17, CGI-S, FSS, and QoLS were collected at the baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatments. ResultsForty-one patients (18 males and 23 females; mean age 49.1 ± 15 years) were included in the study. After four weeks, MADRS and HAMD-17 scores in treatment groups were significantly lower than those reported in the control group (p < 0.001). After eight weeks, all scales except FSS reported significantly lower values in patients treated with BLT (p < 0.0001). LimitationsSmall sample size and significant heterogeneity in the antidepressant treatments. ConclusionBLT has shown reliable effectiveness and safety in treating patients with bipolar depression and should be considered a clinically relevant approach in accelerating patients' therapeutic response and reducing the impact of long-lasting therapy.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.