Table 1 Published studies on the efficacy of bright light therapy in perinatal depression. Adapted from Crowley et Youngstedt [26]
Study | Subjects (n), gestational week (w) | Design, patients vs. controls (n), duration (w) | Bright light treatment | Outcomes | Adverse effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antenatal depression | |||||
Oren et al. 2002 [23] | n = 16 | OL | 10,000 lux, 60 min morning (10 min after awakening) | SIGH-SAD decreased by 49 % after 3 w, by 59 % after 5 w | 2 patients experienced nausea |
23 ± 7 w | 3–5 w | ||||
Epperson 2004 [22] | n = 10 | R PC PG | 7,000 lux vs. 500 lux, 60 min morning (10 min after awakening) | no difference vs. placebo, SIGH-SAD improved in both groups by 45 % | Irritable hypomania in one subject resolved after reduction of light exposure |
20 ± 8 w | 5 vs. 5 | ||||
5 w | |||||
Wirz-Justice et al. 2011 [25] | n = 26 | R PC DB PG | 7,000 lux vs. 70 lux red light, 60 min morning (10 min after awakening) | significant greater improvement with active treatment (SIGH-HADS 58 % vs. 41 %, HDRS 64 % vs. 38 %) | No clinically meaningful side effects |
~25 w | 16 vs. 10 | ||||
5 w | |||||
Postpartum depression | |||||
Corral 2000 [21] | n = 2 | OL | 10,000 lux 30 min morning (7:00–9:30) | HDRS decreased by 38 and 43 % | no adverse side effects |
4 w | |||||
Corral 2007 [24] | n = 15 | R PC PG | 10,000 lux vs. 600 lux red light, 30 min morning (7:00–9:00) | no difference vs. placebo, SIGH-SAD improved in both groups by 49 % | no adverse side effects |
10 vs. 5 | |||||
5 w | |||||