Blue Enriched Versus Standard Light Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD)

Gerandomiseerde en Gecontroleerde Studie Naar de Effecten Van Lichttoediening Met Een Hogere Kleurtemperatuur in Vergelijking Met de Standaard Lichttherapie in de Behandeling Van Winterdepressie

One of the most frequently investigated hypothesis of the pathophysiology underlying Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) or so called winterdepression is a disturbance of circadian rhythms. Since the circadian system is especially sensitive for the blue portion of the light spectrum, a new light therapy device with more blue light (blue enriched polychromatic light) was tested for its efficacy to treat SAD. In chronobiological terms this light is hypothesized to be more potent in inducing non-visual effects. In the present study fluorescent tubes that emit a high portion of short wavelength light on top of the normal wavelengths are tested for its superiority in treating SAD. This blue-enriched light (colour temperature 17000 ºK) is compared to standard light treatment (5000 º K) in SAD patients., The investigators hypothesise that blue- enriched light improve the therapeutic effects of light treatment leading to a higher response or the same response in a shorter time schedule compared to standard light treatment.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Original Energy Light,; Device: Original Energy Light prototype; Device: Original Energy Light prototype

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 52
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Groningen, Netherlands, 9700RB
    • Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18-65;
• diagnosis of Seasonal affective Disorder, winter type according to DSM-IV;
• SIGH SAD rating higher then or equal to 18 on day 1;
• no other treatments for mood disorder during the study
• stay in the Netherlands during the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• other Axis 1 disorder according to DSM-IV
• acute suicide risk
• use of psychotropic drugs or photosensitizing drugs
• eye diseases other then usual effect of aging
• diabetes or epilepsy
• regular shift work

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Standard Light Treatment; 30 min of Standard bright light treatment (color 5000K)	Device: Original Energy Light,; 9000 lux, 30 minutes in the morning; Other Names: Philips energy light HF 3308; 2 lamps PLL36W color 5000K
Experimental: Blue enriched Light treatment 20 min; 20 minutes of Blue enriched light treatment (color 17000K)	Device: Original Energy Light prototype; 9000 lux 20 minutes in the morning; Other Names: Philips energy light HF 3308; 2 lamps PLL36W color 17000K; Device: Original Energy Light prototype; 9000 lux 30 minutes in the morning; Other Names: Philips energy light HF 3308; 2 lamps PLL36W color 17000K
Experimental: Blue enriched light treatment 30 min; 30 minutes of Blue enriched light treatment (color 17000K)	Device: Original Energy Light prototype; 9000 lux 20 minutes in the morning; Other Names: Philips energy light HF 3308; 2 lamps PLL36W color 17000K; Device: Original Energy Light prototype; 9000 lux 30 minutes in the morning; Other Names: Philips energy light HF 3308; 2 lamps PLL36W color 17000K

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
SIGH SAD depression observer rating	days 1, 8, 15, 22

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
selfrating of depressive mood	once daily during 22 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Medical Center Groningen
• Investigators: Study Chair: Y. Meesters, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Gordijn MCM, 't Mannetje D, Meesters Y. The effects of blue-enriched light treatment compared to standard light treatment in Seasonal Affective Disorder. J Affect Disord. 2012 Jan;136(1-2):72-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.08.016. Epub 2011 Sep 10.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2005
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2006
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2006

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 12, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 12, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): January 13, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): January 13, 2010
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 12, 2010
• Last Verified: October 1, 2005

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: phototherapy; circadian rhythms; Seasonal affective disorder; blue enriched light; melanopsin; Primary disease: Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter type
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders; Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: METc2005/160