Dark therapy for mania: a pilot study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent findings suggest that extended bed rest and darkness could stabilize mood swings in rapid cycling bipolar patients. METHOD: We exposed 16 bipolar inpatients affected by a manic episode to a regimen of 14 h of enforced darkness from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night for three consecutive days [dark therapy (DT)]. Pattern of mood changes were recorded with the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and compared with a control group of 16 inpatients matched for age, sex, age at onset, number of previous illness episodes and duration of current episode, and were treated with therapy as usual (TAU). RESULTS: Adding DT to TAU resulted in a significantly faster decrease of YMRS scores when patients were treated within 2 weeks from the onset of the current manic episode. When duration of current episode was longer, DT had no effect. Follow-up confirmed that good responders needed a lower dose of antimanic drugs and were discharged earlier from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Chronobiological interventions and control of environmental stimuli can be a useful add-on for the treatment of acute mania in a hospital setting.
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Light directly affects mood by having an antidepressant effect, as seen in light therapy.
“Light directly affects the mood by having an antidepressant effect such as that seen in light therapy”
From Adjunctive bright light therapy for treating bipolar depression: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (2020) · cites this paper as Barbini et al., 2005
Light deprivation has an anti-manic effect, as seen in dark therapy and virtual darkness therapy (blue light-blocking treatment by means of orange-tinted glasses).
“has an anti‐manic effect on deprivation such as that seen in dark therapy and virtual darkness therapy (blue light‐blocking treatment by means of orange‐tinted glasses; Barbini et al., 2005; Henriksen et al., 2016).”
From Adjunctive bright light therapy for treating bipolar depression: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (2020) · cites this paper as Barbini et al., 2005
Other clinical trials reported that episodes of bipolar mania can be treated effectively by normalizing disrupted circadian rhythms with enforced darkness, either through blue light blocking glasses or controlled environmental darkness.
“Other clinical trials have reported that episodes of bipolar mania can also be treated effectively by normalizing disrupted circadian rhythms with enforced darkness; either through blue light blocking glasses128 or controlled environmental darkness129.”
From Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health (2020) · cites this paper as [129]
Light deprivation and increased sleep may be therapeutic for mania.
“In contrast, light deprivation and increased sleep may be therapeutic for mania (Barbini et al., 2005).”
From Biological rhythms, higher brain function, and behavior: Gaps, opportunities, and challenges (2009) · cites this paper as Barbini et al., 2005
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- Authors
- Barbini, B., Benedetti, F., Colombo, C., Dotoli, D., Bernasconi, A., Cigala‐Fulgosi, M., Florita, M., & Smeraldi, E.
- Affiliations
- IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (IT)
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Benedetti, Francesco
- Venue
- Bipolar Disorders
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-01-14
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 98-101
- ISSN
- 1398-5647 (ISSN-L)
- 1399-5618
- OpenAlex
- W2170230372
- Cited by
- 169
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 3.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Bipolar Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca - Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Keywords
- mania, bipolar disorder, rapid cycling bipolar disorder, bed rest, hospital discharge, Young Mania Rating Scale
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Bipolar Disorder, Darkness, Female, Humans, Male, Periodicity, Pilot Projects, Surveys and Questionnaires
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