LIGHT THERAPIES &

SEASONAL AFFECTIVE
DISORDER

BY: SAMANTHA BRUCIA

 INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
CAUSES SYMPTOMS RISK
FACTORS
Circadian Rhythm Irritability Being female.
Tiredness or low energy
Changes Problems getting along with Age
other people
Hypersensitivity to rejection Family history
Heavy, "leaden" feeling in
Serotonin Changes the arms or legs Having clinical depression or
Oversleeping bipolar disorder.
Appetite changes, especially
a craving for foods high in Living far from the equator.
Melatonin Changes carbohydrates
Weight gain
 THESIS
In this paper, I discuss three different articles focused on light
therapies and how they correlate with the successful
management of seasonal affective disorder. The main age group
focused on is adults, age 20-70. There are two different types of
light, and many different methods of delivering the light to the
person, that are thought to help in managing seasonal affective
disorder. Some of the methods include blue light, white light, light
boxes, as well as wearable light devices. The questions I would
like to investigate are the effectiveness of the devices, the type of
light, the length of exposure time, and how this correlates with
the successful management of the disorder.
 RESEARCH ANALYSIS: BLUE LIGHT ARTICLE
MY THOUGHTS PEERS
THOUGHTS
BLUE light is the same as WHITE BLUE light is the same as WHITE
light light

Lack of studies to reference Sample size doesnt matter

SMALL sample size Side effects of each light?

 RESEARCH ANALYSIS: WEARABLE LIGHT
ARTICLE
MY THOUGHTS PEERS
THOUGHTS
Long term effectiveness? Creative

Increase in compliance Inconvenient

Not a very diverse group Wont increase compliance

 RESEARCH ANALYSIS: EXPOSURE TIME
ARTICLE
MY THOUGHTS PEERS
THOUGHTS
Exposure time effectiveness Mid over matter
may be based on expectation

Placebo effect
Expectations shape attitude

Control group
Attitude may impact
effectiveness
Additional variables?
 CONCLUSION

We all agree that light therapy has some sort of effect on

people, whether it be placebo effect or actual treatment. I
think that overall the color of the light doesnt matter, and
we think that the light may not matter at all. In explaining
our contradicting points, we can definitely see each others
points of view and how all of the studies had their flaws.
We like the questions they seek to answer, however, we
agree that more variable should be considered when
performing their research
 PERSONAL INSIGHT

I CHOSE SAD BECAUSE.

I FIND IT INTERESTING
I LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE SAD IS COMMON
I DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT SAD PRIOR TO THIS ASSIGNMENT
I FIND THE IDEA OF LIGHT THERAPY INTERESTING
 REFERENCES

ANDERSON, J. L., ST HILAIRE, M. A., AUGER, R. R., GLOD, C. A., CROW, S. J., RIVERA, A. N., ... &
WOLFE, D. J. (2016). ARE SHORT (BLUE) WAVELENGTHS NECESSARY FOR LIGHT TREATMENT OF
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER?.CHRONOBIOLOGY INTERNATIONAL,33(9), 1267-1279.
KNAPEN, S. E., VAN DE WERKEN, M., GORDIJN, M. C. M., & MEESTERS, Y. (2014). THE DURATION OF
LIGHT TREATMENT AND THERAPY OUTCOME IN SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER.JOURNAL OF
AFFECTIVE DISORDERS,166, 343- 346.
PROFITA, H. P., ROSEWAY, A., & CZERWINSKI, M. (2016). PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
OF WEARABLE LIGHT THERAPY FOR SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER.
HTTP://WWW.MAYOCLINIC.ORG/DISEASES-CONDITIONS/SEASONAL-AFFECTIVE-
DISORDER/BASICS/DEFINITION/CON-20021047