Clinical Efficacy Of Bright Light Therapy As An Adjunctive Therapy For Depression Disorder

Objective:The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of Bright Light Therapy in addition to drug treatment.Methods:Thirty-three patients of moderate and major depressive disorder were enrolled and randomly divided into Bright Light therapy(BLT)group(Light intensity 10000Lux)17 patients and dim light therapy group(Light intensity <300Lux)16 patients according to the method of random number table.In addition to drug therapy,light therapy was given.Light therapy was given in the morning for 2 weeks.Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Clinical Global Impression Scale and Young Manic Rating Scale(YMRS)were assessed at baseline and the end of second week of light therapy.16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology(QIDS-SR16)was assessed in the first week and the Clinical Global Impression Scale was assessed at the end of first week of light therapy.Self-reported side effects were recorded during the study.Responders were defined as those participants at the second week with a decrease in HAMD-17 score of 50% or more from baseline.The onset day was defined as the day when a decrease in QIDS-SR16 score of50% or more from baseline occurred.SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.The t-test was used for continuous variables that fit the normal distribution,the non-parametric test ratings that did not exhibit normal distributions,and the Fisher’s exact probability method was used for classification variables.Results:1.15 participants in the BLT group and 12 participants in the dim light group completed this study,respectively;2.Compared with before treatment,the total score of HAMD in both groups at the end of the second week of light therapy was significantly decreased(all P<0.05);3.At the end of the second week of light therapy,compared with the dim light therapy group,the total score of HAMD and anxiety somatization factor in HAMD in the BLT group were significantly decreased(t=-2.316、-2.506,all P<0.05);The change of cognitive impairment factor item scores in the dim light therapy group was significantly lower than that in the BLT group before and after light therapy(Z=-2.680,P=0.007);4.At the end of the first and second week of light therapy,the disease severity of the BLT group was significantly lower than that of the dim light therapy group(Z =-3.111、-2.446,all P<0.05);5.At the end of the second week of light therapy,the response rate of BLT group was 53.3%,and that of dim light therapy group was 33.3%.There was no statistical difference between the two groups(P=0.441);6.The onset time of light treatment was5.14 days in the BLT group,while no effect was found in the first week of the dim light therapy group;7.At the end of the second week of light therapy,there was a statistical difference in YMRS score between the two groups(Z=-2.086,P=0.037),but no participants experienced symptoms of hypomania or mania during the light therapy;During light therapy,1 case of headache was reported in the BLT group,and 1 case of sleepiness was reported in the dim light therapy group.Conclusions:1.BLT as an adjunctive therapy can effectively improve the depressive mood of patients with moderate and major depressive disorder,especially the anxiety somatization symptoms and cognitive function.2.BLT as an adjunctive therapy can improve the severity of moderate and major depressive disorder.3.BLT as an adjunctive therapy to treat moderate and major depressive disorder has a rapid onset time,with an average onset time of about 5 days.