↓ Skip to main content

Dove Medical Press

Augmentation of light therapy in difficult-to-treat depressed patients: an open-label trial in both unipolar and bipolar patients

Overview of attention for article published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, September 2015
Altmetric Badge

Citations

dimensions_citation
10 Dimensions

Readers on

mendeley
38 Mendeley
Title
Augmentation of light therapy in difficult-to-treat depressed patients: an open-label trial in both unipolar and bipolar patients
Published in
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, September 2015
DOI 10.2147/ndt.s74861
Pubmed ID
Authors

Giovanni Camardese, Beniamino Leone, Riccardo Serrani, Coco Walstra, Marco Di Nicola, Giacomo Della Marca, Pietro Bria, Luigi Janiri

Abstract

We investigated the clinical benefits of bright light therapy (BLT) as an adjunct treatment to ongoing psychopharmacotherapy, both in unipolar and bipolar difficult-to-treat depressed (DTD) outpatients. In an open-label study, 31 depressed outpatients (16 unipolar and 15 bipolar) were included to undergo 3 weeks of BLT. Twenty-five completed the treatment and 5-week follow-up. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale and the Depression Retardation Rating Scale were used to assess changes in anhedonia and psychomotor retardation, respectively. The adjunctive BLT seemed to influence the course of the depressive episode, and a statistically significant reduction in HDRS scores was reported since the first week of therapy. The treatment was well-tolerated, and no patients presented clinical signs of (hypo)manic switch during the overall treatment period. At the end of the study (after 5 weeks from BLT discontinuation), nine patients (36%, eight unipolar and one bipolar) still showed a treatment response. BLT augmentation also led to a significant improvement of psychomotor retardation. BLT combined with the ongoing pharmacological treatment offers a simple approach, and it might be effective in rapidly ameliorating depressive core symptoms of vulnerable DTD outpatients. These preliminary results need to be confirmed in placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical trial on larger samples.

Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 38 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 38 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 7 18%
Researcher 5 13%
Student > Bachelor 4 11%
Student > Doctoral Student 3 8%
Student > Postgraduate 3 8%
Other 5 13%
Unknown 11 29%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 10 26%
Psychology 7 18%
Neuroscience 2 5%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 1 3%
Computer Science 1 3%
Other 6 16%
Unknown 11 29%