Early response to light therapy partially predicts long-term antidepressant effects in patients with seasonal affective disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the antidepressant effect of 1 hour of light therapy is predictive of the response after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).


METHODS
Twelve patients with SAD.


METHODS
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Md.


METHODS
Light therapy for 2 weeks.


METHODS
Scores on the Seasonal Affective Disorder Version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (SIGH-SAD) on 4 occasions (before and after 1 hour of light therapy and after 1 and 2 weeks of therapy) in the winter when the patients were depressed. Change on typical and atypical depressive scores at these time points were compared.


RESULTS
Improvement of atypical depressive symptoms after 1 hour of light therapy positively correlated with improvement after 2 weeks of therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with SAD, the early response to light therapy may predict some aspects of long-term response to light therapy, but these results should be treated with caution until replicated.
Sher
L
L
Section on Biological Rhythms, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md., USA. leosher@neuron.cpmc.columbia.edu
Matthews
J R
JR
Turner
E H
EH
Postolache
T T
TT
Katz
K S
KS
Rosenthal
N E
NE
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010789:Phototherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome