OBJECTIVES: 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. METHODS: 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. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
Camardese, G., Leone, B., Serrani, R., Walstra, C., Di Nicola, M., Della Marca, G., Bria, P., Janiri, L., Augmentation of light therapy in difficult-to-treat depressed patients: an open-label trial in both unipolar and bipolar patients, <<NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISEASE AND TREATMENT>>, 2015; 11 (N/A): 2331-2338. [doi:10.2147/NDT.S74861] [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/71552]
Autori: | |
Titolo: | Augmentation of light therapy in difficult-to-treat depressed patients: an open-label trial in both unipolar and bipolar patients |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S74861 |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2015 |
Abstract: | OBJECTIVES: 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. METHODS: 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. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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. |
Lingua: | Inglese |
Rivista: | |
Citazione: | Camardese, G., Leone, B., Serrani, R., Walstra, C., Di Nicola, M., Della Marca, G., Bria, P., Janiri, L., Augmentation of light therapy in difficult-to-treat depressed patients: an open-label trial in both unipolar and bipolar patients, <<NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISEASE AND TREATMENT>>, 2015; 11 (N/A): 2331-2338. [doi:10.2147/NDT.S74861] [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/71552] |
Appare nelle tipologie: | Articolo in rivista, Nota a sentenza |