In Canada, studies were carried out on a group of 122 depressed adults in the age group 19-60. All patients at an early stage study gained about 20 points on the Hamilton scale. They were divided into four groups, according to the applied method of treatment - at first were patients undergoing light therapy, in another only taking antidepressants (fluoxetine), in the third applied therapy combining light from antidepressants and placebo in the fourth. Patients in the group were irradiated with light therapy after waking by a special fluorescent lamp for 30 minutes.
After eight weeks, it turned out that the best results brought light monotherapy and combination therapy. Generally, patients have tolerated light therapy, although the reported side effects such as increased appetite or diarrhea. At the same time none of the patients evaluated, there were no case of transition from depression to hypomania.
The big advantage of light therapy lamps and light as such, is its widespread availability and relatively low cost with high efficiency. Additionally, surprising speed with which this type of therapy is delivering - fluoxetine because it needs a few weeks to adapt in the bloodstream and produce the intended improvements in well-being, while in the case of the use of light significant improvement was observed after 4 weeks.
Until now, light therapy used mainly for the treatment of seasonal depression, so the discovery of his actions in the case of clinical depression is a kind of breakthrough. At the same time doctors and patients still need to answer many questions concerning inter alia the length of treatment, his legitimacy after the resolution of symptoms, frequency and intensity of radiation. It is not known exactly what the mechanism of light therapy in the case of both types of depression. The answer to these questions will certainly be helpful in the search for an improved method for treating diseases of civilization, which in recent years has become a depression.
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