title: 2- versus 4-hour evening phototherapy of seasonal affective disorder.
abstract: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has been successfully treated with bright light, and morning exposure has been deemed more effective than exposure at other times. Evening treatment may offer a practical advantage, but the optimal duration of exposure has not been established. Six SAD patients were treated at home for 1 week with 2500 lux of light given either from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. or from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. using a counterbalanced crossover design with a minimal withdrawal period of 1 week between conditions. Both treatments were effective in reversing SAD symptoms, but neither treatment was superior. These results suggest that evening phototherapy for as little as 2 hours may be a useful and reasonable alternative for the treatment of SAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doghramji
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gaddy
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Brainard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods; D012008:Recurrence; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors