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The history of light therapy can be traced back to ancient Egypt and India, where therapy with natural sunlight was first used to treat leucoderma. [3] In the 1850s, Florence Nightingale's advocacy of exposure to clean air and sunlight for health restoration also contributed to the initial development of light therapy for treatments. [4]
Light therapy, also called phototherapy or bright light therapy is the exposure to direct sunlight or artificial light at controlled wavelengths in order to treat a variety of medical disorders, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD), circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, cancers, neonatal jaundice, and skin wound infections.
The biology of depression is the attempt to identify a biochemical origin of depression, as opposed to theories that emphasize psychological or situational causes. Scientific studies have found that different brain areas show altered activity in humans with major depressive disorder (MDD) . [ 1 ]
Bright light therapy, widely understood to be an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can also be helpful in treating other types of depression, finds a new meta-analysis ...
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neuromodulation that uses constant, low direct current delivered via electrodes on the head. This type of neurotherapy was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries or neuropsychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder.
[41] [42] Although light therapy is the leading treatment for seasonal affective disorder, prolonged direct sunlight or artificial lights that don't block the ultraviolet range should be avoided, due to the threat of skin cancer. [43] The evidence base for light therapy as a preventive treatment for seasonal affective disorder is limited. [44]
The researchers found that people who were exposed to high amounts of light at night had a 30% increased risk of developing depression, along with a higher risk of psychosis, bipolar disorder ...
[3] [4] However LLLT has been marketed and researched under a number of other terms, including red light therapy, [39] low-power laser therapy (LPLT), soft laser therapy, low-intensity laser therapy, low-energy laser therapy, cold laser therapy, bio-stimulation laser therapy, photo-biotherapy, therapeutic laser, and monochromatic infrared light ...