Posted by manowar on January 25, 2002, at 17:47:18
I ran across this old article from Medline below (very short). It states that light therapy can be beneficial for Cyclothymia. I've never heard this before. At the end of the article it also claims that, "Bright-light treatment is also effective against depressive disorders in non-seasonal depressions."
Again, I've only heard about the efficacy of bright light treatment for folks that have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Any comments would be appreciated.
--Tim
[Effectiveness of bright light therapy in cyclothymic axis syndromes--a cross-over study in comparison with partial sleep deprivation]
[Article in German]
Heim M.
Klinik fur Frauenpsychiatrie, Bezirkskrankenhauses fur Neurologie und Psychiatrie Arnsdorf bei Dresden.
In a preliminary crossover study, fifty patients with a cyclothymic axial syndrome were given bright-light treatment, while fifty other such patients were treated by means of partial sleep deprivation, 60% of the patients responded to bright-light treatment, as opposed to 50% of the patients partially deprived of sleep. The superior results of the bright-light treatment (Hamilton Depression Scale) are confirmed on the Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation and the Profile of Mood States. Comparatively young patients with a not so extremely marked depression show the best response rates. Bright-light treatment is also effective against depressive disorders in non-seasonal depressions.
Here's the link:
http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis-rs/frs-md03.html
poster:manowar
thread:91597
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/91597.html