Rate of switch from bipolar depression into mania after morning light therapy: a historical review

Light therapy (LT) is efficacious for bipolar depression with effect sizes equivalent to those in antidepressant pharmacotherapy trials. Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) show a 15 –40% rate of manic switches during antidepressant drug treatment. The rate of manic switches during LT has never been estimated.We searched all the literature studies reporting effects of antidepressant LT in BD. 41 studies described 799 patients with BD treated with antidepressant LT, from among which 7 (0.9%) switched into mania and 11 (1.4%) switched into hypomania.
Source: Psychiatry Research - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research