Low Intensity 'Blue Light' Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder

NCT ID: NCT01149135

Last Updated: 2011-08-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 22 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2008-10-31
• Study Completion Date: 2009-03-31

Brief Summary

One of the most frequently investigated hypothesis of the pathophysiology underlying Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) or so called winter depression is a disturbance of circadian rhythms. Since the circadian system is especially sensitive for the blue portion of the light spectrum, a new light therapy device with more blue light (blue enriched polychromatic light) was tested for its efficacy to treat SAD. In chronobiological terms this light is hypothesized to be more potent in inducing non-visual effects. In the present study fluorescent tubes that emit a high portion of short wavelength light on top of the normal wavelengths are tested for its superiority in treating SAD. This blue-enriched light (colour temperature 17000 ºK) is compared to standard light treatment (5000 º K) in SAD patients.,In a earlier study it was shown that the therapeutic effect of blue enriched light were equal to standard light treatment using light in both conditions with an intensity of 10 000 lux. In the present study, blue enriched light with an intensity of 750 lux was used, because of the possible saturation effect in the former study. The investigators hypothesise that blue- enriched light with a low intensity improve the therapeutic effects of light treatment leading to a higher response or the same response in a shorter time schedule compared to standard light treatment.

Conditions

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

Standard light treatment

standard light treatment 5000K; 10 000 lux

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

standard light treatment

Intervention Type: DEVICE

standard light treatment, 30 minutes, 10 000 lux

blue enriched light

Blue enriched light with a low intensity (750 lux)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Blue enriched light with a low intensity

Intervention Type: DEVICE

30 minutes in the morning, 750 lux

Interventions

Blue enriched light with a low intensity

30 minutes in the morning, 750 lux

Intervention Type: DEVICE

standard light treatment

standard light treatment, 30 minutes, 10 000 lux

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

Blue enriched light treatment; Philips energy light HF 3309, 2 lamps PLL36 W 17000 K; Philips Energylight HF 3309, 2 lamps PLL36 W, color 5000K, 10 000 lux

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18-65
• Diagnose of Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter type according to DSM-IV SIGH SAD rating Higher then or equal to 18 on day 1
• No other treatments for mood disorder during the study
• Stay in the Netherlands during the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Other axis-I disorders according to the DSM-IV
• Acute suicide risk
• Use of psychotropic drugs or photosensitizing drugs
• No other treatments for mood disorder during the study
• Diabetes or epilepsy
• Regular shift work

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University Medical Center Groningen

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

University Medical Center Groningen

Other Identifiers

METc 2008.184

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id