of light to relieve depression
Yale researcher Dr. Dan A. Oren is currently involved with two studies testing the benefits of light to treat depression.
In the first study, a light therapy normally used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is being tested on depressed pregnant women, possibly ending the need for antidepressants that often have side effects.
"Although most antidepressant drugs -- with some exceptions -- have not been shown to cause major harm to babies, side effects can be so uncomfortable for the mother that she feels awful from that alone," says Oren, associate professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine. "Light therapy also alleviates the unknown risks of taking an extra drug during pregnancy."
While commonly used antidepressants might not cause birth defects, others have not been fully studied, so they may not be considered safe for use in the first trimester, according to Dr. C. Neill Epperson, assistant professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology in the Yale Behavioral Gynecology Clinic.
"Throughout pregnancy, a baby's brain is continually developing, so taking medications that are known to affect the central nervous system during the second and third trimesters may be of some concern," says Epperson. "All women on antidepressants should discuss their specific medication with their physicians in order to learn more about the drug's risks and benefits."
Preliminary results from the light therapy study, which is a cooperative effort among researchers at Yale, Columbia and Case Western Reserve Universities, suggest that it is effective in treating depression.
"The hope is that the women will feel better, have more energy to maintain their duties, whether they be at home or at work, and that they will not develop a depression that continues into the postpartum time," said Oren. "By not being depressed when the baby is born, the mothers will be better able to care for their newborn children."
Symptoms of depression include persistent sadness, loss of energy, loss of appetite and weight, loss of ability to enjoy life, sleep disturbance, guilt, thoughts of suicide, and impaired concentration or thinking capacity.
According to Epperson, some women can have mild depression, while others may be more severely affected. Anxiety is often a feature of depression and women may feel more anxious than depressed at times.
"Many women feel alone in their depression, like no one really understands," says Epperson. "By seeking treatment through the light therapy study, these women will be supported by clinicians who have years of experience treating depression in mothers. Their symptoms will be closely monitored and we expect the majority of women to improve during their participation in the study."
Oren, in collaboration with Epperson, will continue the research by enrolling 10 depressed and non-depressed pregnant women who are between the sixth and 31st week of pregnancy. Participants will sit in front of a lightweight portable light box that was custom built for the study for one hour daily.
The Ethel F. Donaghue Women's Health Investigator Program at Yale currently supports the study. Those interested in participating may call the Behavioral Gynecology Clinic at (203) 764-9934.
Oren is also testing a new therapy for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that delivers treatment through a light wrapped around a patient's knee.
Oren -- an expert in SAD, which affects about 20 million Americans each year -- aims to improve the current light therapy for winter depression. He will test the effectiveness of the new Apollo Light Systems Skin Light Band in treating SAD.
Shorter hours of daylight have been shown to be a factor in an increased incidence of depression. The current treatment for winter depression includes light box therapy, in which the patient sits under bright lamps for a specified amount of time each day.
Conventional light box therapy for winter seasonal depression is an effective, although somewhat cumbersome treatment, Oren explains, because it requires patients to remain in a fixed location for a significant time period.
"Development of a less cumbersome treatment will lead to more comfort and an increased number of patients who are willing to comply with the treatment," says Oren. "Winter seasonal depression is rarely life-threatening and many patients choose to avoid treatment altogether rather than take antidepressant medications, or choose to avoid using conventional light box therapy."
The Light Band is not yet available commercially. It uses novel light-emitting diode (LED) technology to deliver light of various wavelengths and intensities without emitting any heat directly to the skin. Fitting like a loose Ace bandage, it wraps gently around the skin behind the knee and has no known side effects.
For those who have not been diagnosed with SAD but still feel a slight case of the seasonal blues, Oren offers the following tips that can improve mood at home:
* Take walks during the day to get some sun.
* Exercise daily, if possible
* Contact your physician when home remedies do not do the job.
Oren's study is supported by a National Institutes of Health Small Business grant to Apollo Light Systems and Yale that is specifically designed to encourage cooperative research efforts between universities and the private sector.
The trials will take place at the School of Medicine's Affective Disorders Clinic, located at the Veterans Administration Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven, but the program is open to non-veterans as well as veterans.
Oren is seeking 20 subjects to test the Light Band. The subjects must be between the ages of 7 and 65 and have winter seasonal depression. Potential subjects are encouraged to contact the research program at (203) 937-4862 for more detailed information.
-- By Karen Peart
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