title: Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder.
abstract: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is prevalent when vitamin D stores are typically low. Broad-spectrum light therapy includes wavelengths between 280-320 nm which allow the skin to produce vitamin D. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency might play a role in SAD. A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted in a group of 15 subjects with SAD. Eight subjects received 100,000 I.U. of vitamin D and seven subjects received phototherapy. At the onset of treatment and after 1 month of therapy subjects were administered the Hamilton Depression scale, the SIGH-SAD, and the SAD-8 depression scale. All subjects also had serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D) measured before and 1 week after intervention therapy. All subjects receiving vitamin D improved in all outcome measures. The phototherapy group showed no significant change in depression scale measures. Vitamin D status improved in both groups (74% vitamin D group, p < 0.005 and 36% phototherapy group, p < 0.01). Improvement in 25-OH D was significantly associated with improvement in depression scale scores (r2=0.26; p=0.05). Vitamin D may be an important treatment for SAD. Further studies will be necessary to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Medicine, The Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21218-2895, USA.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gloth
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hollis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010789:Phototherapy; D011581:Psychological Tests; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D014807:Vitamin D