Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder in visual impairment and blindness - a pilot study.
Acta Neuropsychiatr
; 33(4): 191-199, 2021 Aug.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33658092
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Seasonal and non-seasonal depression are prevalent conditions in visual impairment (VI). We assessed the effects and side effects of light therapy in persons with severe VI/blindness who experienced recurrent depressive symptoms in winter corresponding to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or subsyndromal SAD (sSAD).RESULTS:
We included 18 persons (11 with severe VI, 3 with light perception and 4 with no light perception) who met screening criteria for sSAD/SAD in a single-arm, assessor-blinded trial of 6 weeks light therapy. In the 12 persons who completed the 6 weeks of treatment, the post-treatment depression score was reduced (p < 0.001), and subjective wellbeing (p = 0.01) and sleep quality were improved (p = 0.03). In 6/12 participants (50%), the post-treatment depression score was below the cut-off set for remission. In four participants with VI, side effects (glare or transiently altered visual function) led to dropout or exclusion.CONCLUSION:
Light therapy was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms in persons with severe VI/blindness. Eye safety remains a concern in persons with residual sight.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Fototerapia
/
Transtornos da Visão
/
Cegueira
/
Transtorno Afetivo Sazonal
/
Depressão
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Acta Neuropsychiatr
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Dinamarca