Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder with Blue Narrow-Band Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
Open accessAbstract
Background While light has proven an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), an optimal wavelength combination has not been determined. Short wavelength light (blue) has demonstrated potency as a stimulus for acute melatonin suppression and circadian phase shifting.Methods This study tested the efficacy of short wavelength light therapy for SAD. Blue light emitting diode (LED) units produced 468 nm light at 607 microW/cm2 (27 nm half-peak bandwidth); dim red LED units provided 654 nm at 34 microW/cm2 (21 nm half-peak bandwidth). Patients with major depression with a seasonal pattern, a score of > or =20 on the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-SAD version (SIGH-SAD) and normal sleeping patterns (routine bedtimes between 10:00 pm and midnight) received 45 minutes of morning light treatment daily for 3 weeks. Twenty-four patients completed treatment following random assignment of condition (blue vs. red light). The SIGH-SAD was administered weekly.Results Mixed-effects analyses of covariance determined that the short wavelength light treatment decreased SIGH-SAD scores significantly more than the dimmer red light condition (F = 6.45, p = .019 for average over the post-treatment times).Conclusions Narrow bandwidth blue light at 607 microW/cm2 outperforms dimmer red light in reversing symptoms of major depression with a seasonal pattern.
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In the treatment of SAD, exposure to blue narrow-band light with an intensity of 398 lux was found to be superior to dim red-light therapy of 23 lux.
“In the treatment of SAD, exposure to blue narrow-band light with an intensity of 398 lux was in fact, found to be superior to dim red-light therapy of 23 lux [13].”
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- Authors
- Glickman, G., Byrne, B., Pineda, C., Hauck, W. W., & Brainard, G. C.
- Affiliations
- Thomas Jefferson University (US)
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-03
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 502-507
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1988222262
- Cited by
- 260
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 3.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- jdc.jefferson.edu
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- The Medicine Forum (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Space Biomedical Research Institute
- National Institutes of Health (1r43mh066453-01)
- National Institute of Mental Health (1R43 MH066453-01)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS36590, R01NS036590)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Light effects on plants
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Keywords
- seasonal affective disorder, phototherapy, light-emitting diodes, red light, short-wavelength light, melatonin suppression, circadian phase shifting
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Circadian Rhythm, Color, Equipment Design, Equipment Safety, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Inventory, Photometry, Phototherapy, Psychometrics, Radiation, Nonionizing, Radiometry, Proportional Hazards Models, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Luminescence
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