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AUTHOR(S): Artemenko AR; Levin Ia I

ARTICLE TITLE: [The phototherapy of parkinsonism patients]

ARTICLE SOURCE: Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova (Russia), 1996, 96(3) p63-6

ABSTRACT: 40 patients with idiopathic parkinsonism were treated by artificial white light (intensity--3300 lux) together with total or partial "drugs holidays". The patients with newly made diagnosis "parkinsonism" were treated too. Both before and after light therapy (LT) (10 light exposures) we performed estimation of the main clinical manifestations of the disease (in rating scales), psychological assessment (Back's depression rating scale), examination of motility (authors' own special computer program "Hand's Movement Test for Windows"). It was observed that LT resulted in a decrease of the severity of either rigidity or bradykinesia (but not the tremor) as well as it also decreased the depression gravity and improved the motor functions. LT facilitated the patients' capacity to tolerate "the drugs holidays". LT permitted to combine it with drug therapy as well as LT decreased the complications of DOPA-containing drugs (on-off-effects and dystonic hyperkinesias). LT may be used as monotherapy in patients with initial manifestations of the disease. LT didn't cause any complications and was quite simple in carrying out. The conclusion is made about the perspectivity of LT application in parkinsonism treatment as important non-drug therapy.

AUTHOR(S): Gross F; Gysin F

AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Clinique de Psychiatrie II, Institutions universitaires de Psychiatrie, Geneve, Suisse.

ARTICLE TITLE: [Phototherapy in psychiatry: clinical update and review of indications]

ARTICLE SOURCE: Encephale (France), Mar-Apr 1996, 22(2) p143-8

ABSTRACT: Phototherapy introduced in 1984 by Rosenthal as a treatment for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is the first therapeutic answer to season-related psychopathology. Findings in chronobiology have largely contributed to pathophysiological theories of disorders in the internal circadian system. Actual researches on the etiology of SAD covers fields as retinal deficiency (i.e. disorder of photoreceptors), phase disturbance of the internal circadian rhythms given by internal oscillators and neuroendocrinologically drived disorders, supposing that melatonin is the main mediator of human circadian systems in the CNS. Disorders of the neurotransmitters are an other explored cue. Recent longitudinal studies show a prevalence of seasonal depressive symptoms in general population up to 10%. In populations treated for depression the prevalence of SAD is up to 20%. The SAD sex-ratio (women/men) of 3/1 is found repeatedly. Above 55 years SAD get rare. Effectiveness of phototherapy is showed in nearly all controlled studies. Bright light for patients with mild SAD appears to be most effective as is also the authors clinical impression through the practice of phototherapy in Geneva since 1991. A true placebo for bright light is still to be found according to enable evaluation of potentially important impact that unspecific therapeutic factors may trigger in phototherapy. Actually possible new indications for phototherapy are being explored: bright light for non seasonal depression has been tested with features with SAD; effectiveness in bulimia has been suggested and recently sleep disorders in psychogeriatric patients have been improved. Non seasonal circadian disorders such as jet lag might be sensitive to light.

AUTHOR(S): Hanna GL; Yuwiler A; Coates JK

AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

ARTICLE TITLE: Whole blood serotonin and disruptive behaviors in juvenile obsessive-compulsive disorder.

ARTICLE SOURCE: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (United States), Jan 1995, 34(1) p28-35

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: The study was conducted with children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to assess the relationship of whole blood serotonin (5-HT) content to a concurrent diagnosis of a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) and to severity ratings of aggressive behavior. METHOD: Eighteen children and adolescents who met DSM-III-R criteria for OCD were evaluated with a structured interview, clinician rating scales, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Blood 5-HT concentration was assayed with a fluorometric procedure. Relationships among categorical diagnoses, dimensional ratings, and blood 5-HT content were analyzed with bivariate and multivariate techniques. RESULTS: OCD subjects with a DBD (n = 6) had significantly higher scores than those without a DBD (n = 12) on the Total Problem scale, the Externalizing Problem scale, and several of the behavioral syndrome scales of the CBCL. Blood 5-HT concentrations were significantly lower in those with a DBD than in those without a DBD, and blood 5-HT concentrations had significant negative correlations with the Total score, the Externalizing score, and the Aggressive Behavior score of the CBCL. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide further evidence of a significant relationship between aggressive behavior and serotonergic functioning.

AUTHOR(S): Heim M

AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Klinik fur Frauenpsychiatrie, Bezirkskrankenhauses fur Neurologie und Psychiatrie Arnsdorf bei Dresden.

ARTICLE TITLE: [Bright light therapy in schizophrenic diseases]

ARTICLE SOURCE: Psychiatr Neurol Med Psychol (Leipz) (Germany, East), Mar 1990, 42(3) p146-50

ABSTRACT: 20 patients with schizophrenic disorders, displaying a depressive syndrome, were given bright-light therapy, and compared with 11 patients treated by means of partial deprivation of sleep. Against a figure of 27% in the case of sleep-deprivation, syndrome remittance was 55% in the case of bright-light therapy. Psychometric data were obtained by use of three external-assessment schemes (HAMD, BPRS, and NOSIE) and two self-assessment procedures (TSD, POMS). As depressive syndromes improve under bright-light therapy, schizophrenic symptoms also recede, which suggests close syndromatologic links in the sense of a universal genesis of psychoses.

AUTHOR(S): Hoflich G; Kasper S; Moller HJ

AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Psychiatrische Universitatsklinik, Bonn.

ARTICLE TITLE: [Successful treatment of seasonal compulsive syndrome with phototherapy]

ARTICLE SOURCE: Nervenarzt (Germany), Nov 1992, 63(11) p701-4

ABSTRACT: We report the case of a 40-year-old woman with a seasonal form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) which was usually accompanied by obsessions and occurred only in autumn or winter. Frequently, the OCD symptomatology was accompanied by depression. After a 12-day treatment with full spectrum bright light (3000 lux; 2 hours a day between 9 and 11 am) without changing the long-term antidepressive medication (125 mg amitriptyline/day) there was a complete remission of OCD symptomatology, with no relapse during the next months.

AUTHOR(S): Marriott PF; Greenwood KM; Armstrong SM

AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Melbourne Centre for Seasonal Affective Disorder, Richmond Victoria, Australia.

ARTICLE TITLE: Seasonality in panic disorder.

ARTICLE SOURCE: J Affect Disord (Netherlands), Jun 1994, 31(2) p75-80

ABSTRACT: Following a clinical observation of increased anxiety symptoms and mood changes during winter in panic disorder patients, the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) was completed by 133 patients. Global Seasonality Scores (GSS), and the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), were significantly higher than reported in general population studies. Seasonal changes were also found in anxiety and panic attacks. These findings suggest the possibility of a common aetiology for panic disorder and SAD, that seasonality may be a far more general phenomenon in psychopathology, and that light therapy may be a useful treatment for some panic disorder patients.

AUTHOR(S): McGrath RE; Yahia M

AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, N.J. 07666.

ARTICLE TITLE: Preliminary data on seasonally related alcohol dependence.

ARTICLE SOURCE: J Clin Psychiatry (United States), Jul 1993, 54(7) p260-2

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to examine whether some individuals who report alcohol dependence consistently deteriorate during the fall and winter months. We also explored whether this deterioration could be attributed to seasonal affective disorder. METHOD: Veterans Administration inpatients were administered a screening questionnaire concerning seasonal patterns in alcohol use and other variables. Those who suggested a fall-winter pattern were interviewed. RESULTS: Six individuals were identified who met criteria for seasonal alcohol dependence (based on DSM-III-R criteria for seasonal depression). Two case summaries are provided. CONCLUSION: Evaluation for seasonal affective disorder may be warranted in alcoholic patients. In such cases, light therapy may prove a useful adjunct to conventional treatment.

AUTHOR(S): Solov'eva AD; Fishman EIa

ARTICLE TITLE: [The phototherapy of psycho-autonomic disorders]

ARTICLE SOURCE: Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova (Russia), 1996, 96(3) p67-71

ABSTRACT: 26 patients with psychovegetative disorders of neurotic origin (vegetative dystonia syndrome, hyperventilation syndrome, panic attacks, headache, insomnia, motivation disorders) were treated. Light therapy (LT) was carried out every day during 2 weeks. The light of 4500-5000 lux was applied during 1 hour (the distance-60 cm). As a result positive effect was revealed in 11 patients while there was no effect in 15 individuals. The positive effect was observed as a decrease of clinical manifestations. Patients with positive treatment results were characterised by short disease duration, weak hypothalamus dysfunction, astheno-depressive disorders prevalence. Negative effect of LT was observed in patients with longer duration of disease, more severe hypothalamic dysfunction together with anxious and astheno-hypochondriac syndrome. The conclusion a made that LT effect is associated with the character and the degree of psychovegetative disorders, but not with presence or absence of hypothalamic dysfunction.

AUTHOR(S): Van Someren EJ; Kessler A; Mirmiran M; Swaab DF

AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Graduate School of Neurosciences Amsterdam, Netherlands.

ARTICLE TITLE: Indirect bright light improves circadian rest-activity rhythm disturbances in demented patients.

ARTICLE SOURCE: Biol Psychiatry (United States), May 1 1997, 41(9) p955-63

ABSTRACT: Light is known to be an important modulator of circadian rhythms. We tested the hypothesis than an enduring increase in the daytime environmental illumination level improves rest-activity rhythm disturbances in demented patients. Actigraphy was performed before, during, and after 4 weeks of increased illumination in the living rooms of 22 patients with dementia clinically diagnosed as probable Alzheimer's disease, multi-infarct dementia, dementia associated with alcoholism, or normal pressure hydrocephalus. The results indicated that during increased illumination, the stability of the rest-activity rhythm increased in patients with intact vision, but not in visually impaired patients.

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