It is said that stress is the precursor of all sickness. In a modern and increasingly fast society like ours, stress is responsible for many mental and physical health issues. Being stressed has become the norm, and yet we often waste our free time on things we don't even enjoy that much (social media scrolling, anyone)?
We've all been there. We feel stressed as a result of family or relationship issues, or before a test or daunting event. On top of that, leading a hectic and unbalanced lifestyle doesn't help keep us calm and collected, but it rather intensifies the stress.
Stress is tied to a 36 percent greater risk of developing 41 autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, and celiac disease. We've become our own enemies. While we're rushing and running to get everything done, our bodies are developing serious problems, and we're not even noticing.
Taking fifteen minutes out of your day to focus on yourself, your mind, and your body shouldn't be viewed as a luxury. In the time you spend complaining that it takes time out of your day, you could've paused and done it. So, why not change your narrative and allow yourself a little bit of relief?
So, it’s time to invest in yourself. Light therapy is not only beneficial for our outer beauty but our inner balance as well. It works inward, directly targeting cells and promoting cellular rejuvenation. And there are many ways to use light therapy; from aiding in skincare problems to using our UV light therapy for wound healing.
The type of light therapy depends on your choice; there are a variety of colors that target different issues. Ranging from red and blue to yellow and purple, they all share the same benefit of light working on accelerating our adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the fuel of our cells and a better ATP production equates to a better organism in total.
Light is known to trigger the release of serotonin in our brain. Serotonin is also known as the happy "feel-good" brain chemical. Light therapy is the perfect intervention when feeling down; it's also linked to improving other mental issues.
It helps alleviate stress and is something that can be done at home with our light therapy devices. Not only are you reaping health and beauty benefits, but also you're promoting balanced brain activity. The beauty of doing the treatments yourself is that you get to choose when to do them and on what terms. Pairing your light therapy treatment with meditation could be the way to go.
Why do we mention meditation? Well, its benefits to the body and mind are infinite, and it can also help with your light therapy treatment. There are many different ways to incorporate meditation into your daily routine.
Meditation is, in general, a practice to achieve greater control of the activities of our mind so that it becomes capable of concentrating on a single thought, on a high concept, without overthinking and becoming still, peaceful. Akin to meditation is contemplation, which means letting the mind rest in its natural state. Therefore, it is a practice aimed at self-realization, which can have a religious, spiritual, philosophical purpose, or improve psychophysical conditions.
Pairing your time for light therapy with meditation will only compel your body even more to enter a state most pure to its well-being. Letting the outside world go and only focusing within while your cells truly are being rejuvenated is an incredible process, and a ritual you can incorporate into your daily or weekly self-care regimen.
We so often struggle to find a real escape when we could obtain one right within our homes. Scheduling light therapy-meditation sessions for yourself daily will give you a mindful time to look forward to. You can benefit both physically and mentally in your health, even now when that seems harder to accomplish each day.
At Kaiyan, we’re dedicated to improving the body from the inside out. To help you achieve a balanced life, our MDASAP-certified and FDA-approved light therapy devices are the perfect at-home treatment. Contact our team for more information.
Light therapy has many benefits, working from the inside, out. It not only helps with our appearance but also internal wellness — because who said beauty's just skin deep?
Many people find themselves turning to this new form of treatment since it's non-invasive and comes with long-term positive effects — something most people aren't used to hearing.
While outwardly, the skin smooths out, pores are reduced, wrinkles diminished, and collagen restored. Inwardly, light therapy works directly with our cells, generating an increase of ATP, the energy that fuels us.
LED Light Therapy uses color wavelengths of visible light, each with specific skin benefits. Due to sun damage, aging, skin disorders, healthy skin cells are compromised and have a more difficult time renewing themselves normally.
But why are wellness gurus going crazy for light therapy?
Light therapy is not that new; however, it's been gaining popularity due to its benefits, especially in the wellness industry. While everyone is eager to look younger, going under the knife is very invasive. Light therapy is not only effective and easy to use; it's non-invasive. The device needed for light therapy is usually a lamp or light therapy box.
Is light therapy good for skin? Absolutely. And one of the best things next to the long-term effects is that light therapy can be used as laser light therapy at home. This is the most comfortable way of having the benefits of light therapy. Many celebrities themselves are opting for this route as opposed to invasive treatments.
Light is used as a source of energy, and our skin soaks it up, turning it into ATP (our life fuel). Cells reproducing faster and more efficiently brings the repair and rejuvenation of damaged cells, or, in the case of treating acne, kill bacteria. This stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, boosts circulation, and accelerates tissue repair. You simply lie underneath a light screen during the treatment while the LED light device.
What can light therapy be used for you may be wondering? It isn't only beneficial for your skin; it works directly within our cells, accelerating ATP production. This makes it helpful with overall health, physical and mental. Light exposure has also been linked to being a trigger of serotonin, the way natural light does as well. Not only does it trigger serotonin, but also melatonin, which helps regulate your sleep cycle.
Luckily, instead of having to go to a doctor for your treatments, you have your own LED light therapy mask or device in the comfort of your home. Allowing wellness gurus and everyday people to enjoy the benefits of red light therapy.
Light therapy devices work not only the face but as a full body treatment that can help with muscle tension and fascia. Fascia is the connecting tissue that holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber, and muscle in place.
Gwyneth Paltrow even explores on goop.com the many different appealing sides to it. “Light acts as a mild stressor on the body in a dose-dependent manner. We always consider stress to be a bad thing, but at low levels, stress can be good for us. It conditions our tissues and stimulates endogenous protective responses that prime us for either existing or future insult.”
Kourtney Kardashian has taken her LED light therapy mask to the public as well, promoting the device and its benefits. She enjoys both red and blue light treatments, often posting her with her at-home mask. She’s mentioned retinol use alongside the regular treatments, and other skin rejuvenating products.
But more and more celebrities and wellness gurus are turning to light therapy for a full body treatment. Jessica Alba, alongside celebrities including Emma Stone, Chrissy Teigen, Lena Dunham, Kelly Rowland, and Real Housewives of New York City’s Carole Radziwill, have openly discussed red light therapy treatment.
Many top skincare and wellness brands are turning to Kaiyan for their red light therapy device production. And though we produce devices that are incredibly effective, our devices are also MDASAP-certified and FDA-approved, giving you security in knowing your devices not only are effective but are safe. Contact our team for more information.
As humans, we are made of energy and fueled by light. While nutrition and exercise play a role in our well-being and health, light plays a crucial role in us functioning optimally. New and groundbreaking research is unearthing a new understanding of how our cells function and the evidence points to the power of light.
Through technological advancements in science, it’s discovered that our bodies operate similar to a battery. Wavelengths of light give us power, while our overall health determines our ability to receive and maintain the energy from light. And this is where light therapy comes into the equation.
Science has proven that our bodies interact with specific wavelengths that benefit our bodies in various ways.
Red light therapy devices, such as light therapy masks, shine red and near-infrared light onto the skin, stimulating the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the mitochondria. By stimulating ATP, damaged cells heal, and new cells are produced faster than normal. But we’ll talk more about that in-depth a little later.
Red light therapy comprises both red light and infrared wavelengths, penetrating through the skin’s layers, right into the cells. Red light wavelengths boost collagen and elastin and improve cell communication. It penetrates superficially and helps aid various skin conditions.
Near-infrared wavelengths stimulate healing, increase mitochondrial function, and improve blood flow and tissue oxygenation. Near-infrared wavelengths penetrate deeply into the body.
At the core of your body’s healing capabilities are the mitochondria. The mitochondria play a vital role in your internal organs and tissue, including the liver, skin, heart, and muscles. It’s in charge of the body’s energy supply via ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
With both working together, they provide energy to our body and maintain the cell cycle and growth. This is why you’ll often hear the mitochondria referred to as the “powerhouse of the cell.”
Here's how the mitochondria is affected by red light:
Interestingly, our body weight is made of 70% water, with 99% of our bodies' molecules also made of water, making it a powerful component in red light therapy treatment.
Research by Prof Gerald Pollock of the University of Washington proved that water adjacent to a cell is structured water, also known as EZ water. This specific water forms a separation of charge, functioning in the body as positive and negative poles - similar to a battery.
While we’ve been talking about red light therapy, what does it actually mean? Typically, “red light therapy” refers to natural light treatments which deliver red and near-infrared wavelengths as natural sunlight using LEDs or cold lasers.
While you may think red light therapy includes all colors of light, it doesn’t. The term doesn’t include blue or white light, and it isn’t equivalent to full-spectrum light. Red light therapy doesn’t rely on heat, differentiating it from other light-based treatments such as infrared saunas and heat therapy.
Red light therapy is also known as RLT, photobiomodulation (PBM), phototherapy, LED therapy, LED light therapy, infrared therapy, low-level laser therapy, or low-level light therapy (LLLT).
As stated before, red light therapy works to heal the entire body and functions on multiple levels.
Red light therapy affects the body in multiple ways, including bodily systems:
Fascia
Fascia is the thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds virtually every organ, muscle, nerve fiber, blood vessel, and bone in place. While it performs as an internal structure for your body, the fascia also contains nerves, making it almost as sensitive as skin.
The fascia may look like a layer of tissue; however, it’s made up of interwoven layers of collagen and elastin fibers. The fascia is overlooked, yet over recent years, it has been the key to understanding how changes in one area of our body affect others. Red light therapy works to improve communication within the fascia network.
Gut-Brain Axis
The gut-brain axis connects the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. Recent research discovered the importance of gut microbiota concerning these interactions.
Red light therapy can positively influence mood and neuropsychological issues by the following:
Immune System
Red and near-infrared light penetrate through the skin into the cells, which results in low-dose metabolic stress that strengthens the cells’ anti-inflammatory and natural defense systems. In turn, the body becomes resilient to infections.
Safe and low exposure to red light therapy improves the body’s response to external viruses and bacteria. Red light therapy can influence the immune response in the following ways:
Circulatory System
Red light therapy is scientifically proven to increase the micro-circulation of blood and support the circulatory system as a whole by stimulating the development of new capillaries which carry oxygen throughout the body.
Proper oxygen supply and flow are essential for the proliferation of cells, protein synthesis, tissue restoration, inflammatory response, and angiogenesis. In addition, circulation is also responsible for waste elimination, specifically degenerated cells.
Nervous System
The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, neurons, and neural support cells, which is your body’s command center. It controls your movements, automatic responses, and other body systems such as digestion and breathing.
Red light therapy affects the nervous system in the following ways:
For all forms of nerve damage, red light therapy offers non-pharmaceutical treatment options.
Stem Cells
Red light therapy shows impressive results regarding stem cell growth, maximizing the potential of stem cell implantation for various medical needs. Therefore, red light therapy may show positive results after surgery to stimulate stem cells which repair tissues and organs.
In studies, red light therapy has proven to stimulate mesenchymal stem cells in bone marrow, enhancing their ability to reach the brain. This research shows the possibilities of using red light therapy to heal degenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.
It’s clear red light therapy provides multilevel treatment to the body, becoming a popular natural and holistic option for both professionals and consumers, but where did it come from?
Light therapy technology isn’t new; it’s been around for decades as NASA experimented with red light therapy during the 1980s and 1990s. Over the past 10-20 years, red light therapy reached a breakthrough in LED lighting technology, allowing the production of safe and affordable clinical and at-home devices.
In 2016, Kaiyan Medical became the first leading manufacturer of red light therapy of affordable FDA-approved and MDASAP-approved light therapy devices.
We mentioned red light therapy being a holistic treatment option, but what does that mean. Holistic medicine is a full-body approach to healthcare. By focusing on the body, mind, and soul, the body receives the full support and care it needs to function optimally.
Principles of Holistic Medicine
Holistic medicine is based on the following principles:
The purpose of treatment is to identify the underlying cause of the disease, rather than treating only the symptoms.
While there are endless benefits the body receives from red light therapy, here are the six main benefits.
Photobiomodulation, in other words, red light therapy, has proven effective against carpal tunnel syndrome, mucositis, neck pain, menstrual cramps, temporomandibular joint pain, and neuropathic pain from amputation. It also significantly reduces the pain of hypersensitivity while improving sensorimotor function.
These improvements come after anti-inflammatory cells populate the injured area, providing long-lasting pain relief. In addition, it’s also been shown to provide effective relief by affecting the following:
Red light therapy has proven to be highly effective in rapidly treating wounds from burns, scars, bedsores, ulcers, surgery incisions, and diabetic neuropathy.
NASA strongly supports this claim as this technology was used in treating wounds. Red and near-infrared light proves effective in all four phases of the wound-healing process:
These processes are regulated by various factors connected via nitric oxide (NO) signaling release, adjusted by light energy.
An issue the body encounters when trying to heal a wound is low oxygen flow, and red light increases the flow of oxygen, speeding up the natural healing process. By reducing inflammation and increasing oxygenation of the wounded area, blood vessels can form, rapidly repairing the area, lessening pain and scarring.
By reducing pain, red light therapy eliminates the reliant on pharmaceutical painkillers during the healing process.
The human body receives energy on the cellular level, maintaining communication between organs and ensuring disease resistance.
A strong immune system works to protect the body from harmful bacteria and viruses at all times. With red light therapy, the body receives a boost of support as it releases nitric oxide and melatonin, two components involved in DNA repair and antimicrobial.
This process is called hormesis. Red and near-infrared wavelengths penetrate through the skin into the cells, causing mild metabolic stress, which stimulates cells to activate their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant response.
With the support of red light therapy, the body is better prepared to fight infections. Numerous studies have proven red light therapy to have the following effects on the immune system:
Inflammation in the body can be acute and topical (short-term, resulting from sprains, infections, and accidents) or chronic and general (long-term, caused by ongoing conditions).
Acute inflammation is a healthy bodily response; however, chronic and general inflammation can negatively impact long-term health.
As of today, the current treatment for inflammation is NSAID or steroid drugs, both having a detrimental effect on the healing process and long-term health. Red light therapy stimulates the body to activate its natural healing mechanism, reducing the health risks of long-term drug use.
Red light therapy decreases the number of inflammatory cells, increases fibroblast proliferation (cells that synthesize collagen and other matrix macromolecules), stimulates angiogenesis (creation of new blood vessels), and activates the body’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant response.
The following conditions are connected with chronic and acute inflammation, all proving promising results with red light therapy treatment:
Red light therapy is extremely popular in competitive sports and performance. It offers natural and non-pharmaceutical treatment, which applies to many areas of the body.
Aside from the overwhelming benefits on overall health, red light therapy encourages muscles growth and repair by stimulating the production of ATP, which aids in faster recovery and better performance.
Red light therapy used before training prepares and strengthens the body while aiding muscle recovery after training.
Here are the scientifically documented effects of red light therapy:
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depressions, impacting 5% of Americans, specifically during the winter when there’s less natural sunlight. SAD is also known as seasonal depression or winter blues.
Many people treat SAD symptoms via bright white light treatment, mimicking the sun’s light daily. However, researchers recommend natural light treatment, like red light therapy, to help with light deficiency. Over recent years, physicians recommend red light therapy alongside psychotherapy and medication.
While many people are using red light therapy devices for at-home treatment, red light therapy systems are found in many clinical and professional settings:
Skincare Professionals: Red light therapy is a popular skincare treatment among Hollywood celebrities, including Kourtney Kardashian, Julia Roberts, and Emma Stone. Leading skincare professionals like dermatologists and aestheticians use red light therapy to help promote collagen production, reduce wrinkles, and treat skin conditions.
Health Practitioners: Health practitioners from all specialties are incorporating red light therapy into their practice. Dentists use it to reduce inflammation, physicians for mental health conditions, and oncologists for cancer side effects.
Natural Health Experts: Leading voices in the health and wellness industry such as Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, Ben Greenfield, and Dave Asprey strongly support the use of red light therapy. Paleo and Keto health experts like Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, Luke Story, and Dr. Anthony Gustin also support red light therapy.
Sports Medicine Pros: The National Sports Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) adopted red light therapy to treat sports injuries. Top trainers and doctors, including Dr. Troy Van Biezen and Dr. Ara Suppiah, use red light therapy to heal their athletes.
Elite Pro Athletes: Professional athletes worldwide, including NFL stars like Patrick Peterson, UFC champion Anthony Pettis, and gold medal gymnast Sanne Weavers use red light therapy to enhance performance and quicken recovery.
Fitness & Training: World-renown fitness trainers, including Lacey Stone and Jorge Cruise, use red light therapy to enhance athletic performance and muscle recovery.
Supportive Cancer Care: The Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) recommends the treatment of red light therapy for oral mucositis (OM), a common symptom of cancer treatment.
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If there’s one thing most of us likely haven’t had enough of in 2020, it’s natural light. The pandemic has changed our lives in so many ways, particularly concerning the drastic increase in the amount of time spent indoors and home. Most of us are stationed at our computers all day, only to log off just in time for dinner. At that point, it’s already dark, and we’re likely ready to decompress and relax.
Throw a lockdown on top of this, and we’re lucky if we even get to see the sky that day.
Our current lifestyle, specifically in quarantine, makes natural daylight a rare sight, and this can be extremely detrimental to our mental and physical health — but why?
Without a sufficient amount of light, your circadian rhythm becomes out of sync, as does our hormone production levels. And if you’ve been experiencing poor sleep, lack of light is likely the reason why. A study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that employees who work near windows receive twice as much sunlight as those who don’t receive natural light — they also receive 46 more minutes of sleep on average.
So: darkness isn’t the determiner of sleep; rather, light is.
It’s clear how our daily routines have become more indoors-bound, yet there seems to be no way to reduce these light-limiting circumstances. The lack of sleep disrupted hormones, and constant uncertainty has a severe effect on our bodies, which we’re all experiencing during this time. So, how do we overcome these health concerns with limited options?
This is where red light therapy plays a crucial role in improving health. With the average American spending 90 percent of their time indoors, red light therapy allows you to receive light in your own environment. But just because we’re staying at home due to quarantine doesn’t mean we can’t supplement the natural light we need.
Red light therapy works by increasing energy production at a cellular level. The more energy our cells produce, the better our bodies feel as there’s sufficient blood flow. However, there’s more to it than just feeling good.
For people working in front of the computer all day, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle fatigue, and arthritis are serious concerns. And since we’re working from home, our screen time has significantly increased. Red light therapy can also alleviate these issues by increasing circulation, repairing tissue, and relieving stiffness.
And while some may have received more natural light during quarantine in the summer, winter is right around the corner. During the winter months, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects around 5% of people in general. However, with quarantine, these numbers are increasing. Thankfully, SAD symptoms can be significantly reduced, as light therapy mimics the sun’s light.
With COVID-19, it’s also incredibly difficult to manage mental and emotional health with the current circumstances. Before quarantine, if someone was stressed, they could reduce their symptoms by working out, going to yoga class, or enjoying nature with friends. But these activities have been either eliminated or significantly reduced. So, the reality is that we’re sitting at home all day, stressed, overworked, and fatigued.
Red light therapy is a game-changer for mitigating stress levels, as light cultivates calmness within the body. And since light therapy aids with cell production, it helps the body bounce back after experiencing stress or illness. In these times, red light therapy can aid with stress and help people recover from COVID-19 by reducing lung inflammation, pneumonia, and other acute respiratory disorders.
So although the quarantine presents many new challenges, we can be empowered to control our own health and wellness during these times. At Lunas, we’re passionate about helping people achieve their balance and intend to have our light panels in homes around the world, particularly during this challenging period. We hope to help everyone around the world find their light — literally!
If there's one thing that many of us experience during the holiday season, it’s stress. As much as it can be a time of joy, there’s a lot of pressures that come along with this time of the year. And now, the holidays come with yet another set of stressors that we're not so unaccustomed to: an ongoing global pandemic. None of us have gone through a holiday season during lockdowns and quarantines, making it stressful and difficult to navigate.
With many of us unable to see our families, we are potentially having to spend the holidays alone, only seeing our loved ones over Zoom or Skype. It’s an unusual time we’re living in right now and it can bring up various emotions. The chronic stress we’re currently living in can lead to serious health problems, including inflammation, headaches, insomnia, digestion issues, and loss of sexual desire.
On top of everything, the winter season brings SAD (seasonal affective disorder), resulting in many people suffering from low energy, depression, and appetite changes. So, as you can see, we’re dealing with a lot this holiday season, and it’s evermore important to take care of ourselves.
Of course, the fact that we're separated from our families is difficult, and sadly, there's not much we can do about it. However, we can help ourselves find mental, emotional, and physical balance during these stressful times, and reduce inflammation stemming from stress in the body.
If you're suffering from inflammation and have experienced pain, heat, swelling, and discomfort, you've probably done some Googling to find the cause. As you know, endless search results point to diet, weight, and exercise, which are all valid causes, but they are not the only ones. But there's one main cause we tend to ignore: stress.
What happens to us when we’re stressed? When we're stressed, our inflammatory response jumps into action and our body enters allostasis. Allostasis is the process of adapting to acute stress by producing stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. In other words, our bodies go into "flight or fight" mode.
This isn't necessarily unhealthy; this is part of the natural human response. However, the problem comes when we're experiencing chronic stress as our bodies cannot return to homeostasis. This causes the body to believe we're fighting for our lives continually, and ultimately causes inflammation.
Naturally, in today’s world, you’re going to experience stressful situations. And yes, yoga and meditation help to reduce stress, but they don’t reduce inflammation entirely. So, what can you do? When it comes to bringing your body back to a state of balance, red light therapy works wonders.
If you've ever visited the doctor for inflammation issues, you've probably been prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids. Though they're useful, they don't deal with the root cause of your inflammation.
Red light therapy does combat the root of inflammation by sending wavelengths of red and near-infrared (NIR) light to the skin and cells, cutting down the oxidative stress and enhancing cellular energy to boost your immune system, even preventing diseases that are caused by chronic inflammation. In addition, red light therapy also increases the cell's healing process, improving blood flow and reducing any existing inflammation.
Aside from the inflammation, red light therapy also aids in treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Red light therapy’s benefits are particularly powerful during the winter season, as you can eliminate or reduce winter-related conditions such as inflammation and SAD.
Inflammation is a natural part of the human body, but chronic inflammation can cause serious health risks that can significantly reduce the quality of your life. Therefore, we’re intent on helping people reduce inflammation at Lunas through our state-of-the-art red light therapy devices that are MDA and FDA approved and can be used from the comfort of your home during this holiday season.
Winter can be a dreary and gloomy time of year, but that doesn’t mean you need to feel poorly, too. With red light therapy, you’ll be able to reduce inflammation, eliminate symptoms and get your life back.
The first formal description of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the most well-known psychiatric condition associated with seasonality in humans, was introduced in the mid-1980s by Rosenthal, who described a group of 29 patients living in a temperate climate who experienced depressive episodes characterized by hypersomnia, hyperphagia, and weight gain in the fall or winter, and whose symptoms remitted by the next spring or summer.
SAD was incorporated into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders III-R when “seasonal pattern” was introduced as a specifier for Major Depression and Bipolar Disorders. Subsequent revision in DSM-IV described SAD as “a regular temporal relationship between the onset of Major Depressive Episodes in Bipolar I (BPI) or Bipolar II (BPII) Disorder or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), recurrent, and a particular time of the year.”
Today, SAD, or MDD with seasonal pattern, is defined as recurrent episodes of major depression that meet the following criteria: at least two consecutive years where the onset and offset of depressive symptoms occur at characteristic times with no non-seasonal episodes, a temporal relationship between onset of symptoms and time of year, a temporal relationship between remission of symptoms and time of year, and an outnumbering of seasonal compared to non-seasonal episodes throughout the lifetime of the patient.
To date, the pathophysiology of SAD is unclear. Early research into the mechanism of SAD focused on day length or photoperiod. This hypothesis posited that shorter days in winter, possibly mediated by a longer duration of nocturnal melatonin secretion, leads to depressed mood in susceptible individuals. To date, there is little data to support this hypothesis. Furthermore, given that bright light in the evening has not been as effective as that given in the morning, it now seems unlikely that the photoperiod is the underlying pathological mechanism of SAD.
Although some animal studies have implicated a direct effect of light on the midbrain (Miller, Miller, Obermeyer, Behan, & Benca, 1999; Miller, Obermeyer, Behan, & Benca, 1998), the most prominent hypothesis driving human studies involves disruption of circadian rhythms. Research on the role of serotonin is also active.
A circadian rhythm refers to the approximately 24-hour cycle of physiological processes present in humans and other animals. This cycle is governed via clock gene expression by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master pacemaker located within the anterior hypothalamus. Though the SCN endogenously generates circadian oscillations, SCN endogenously generates circadian oscillations, and they need to be entrained to the 24-hour day by external cues. Light exposure is the most important synchronizing agent of endogenous circadian rhythms.
Downstream of the SCN, a collection of systemically active neurohumoral networks transduce circadian information to the rest of the body. For instance, via projections to the hypothalamus's paraventricular nucleus, the activation of the SCN leads to autonomic changes, including cardiovascular modulation, and together the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems collaborate to affect systemic changes. Thus, the SCN receives information about the external day-night cycle directly through retinofugal pathways and indirectly through neuromodulatory signaling. Circadian information is then relayed systemically through neurohumoral networks.
The current primary hypothesis for the pathophysiology of SAD, known as the “phase-shift hypothesis,” posits that there is an optimal relationship in the alignment of the sleep-wake cycle and the endogenous circadian rhythm. During the fall and winter, as day length shortens, the circadian rhythm begins to drift later concerning clock time and the sleep-wake cycle. This phase delay is hypothesized to bring about mood symptoms. A pulse of morning bright light generates a circadian phase advance, which is thought to correct the discordance between sleep and circadian phase, thereby ameliorating depressive symptoms. However, the phase-shift hypothesis would predict that the amount of phase correction required for each patient would depend on an individual’s PAD, which has not yet been proven.
Several studies have also proposed that serotonin is implicated in the pathophysiology of SAD, as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to be effective in the treatment of SAD. Supporting this hypothesis, one study used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging to look at binding probability at synaptic serotonin transporters in 88 normal individuals living in the temperate climate of Toronto, Canada (Praschak-Rieder, Willeit, Wilson, Houle, & Meyer, 2008). The binding probability was increased during fall and winter compared to warmer months, thus eliciting an inverse correlation between binding potential and sunlight durationsunlight duration. Of note, the largest difference in transporter binding was found in the mesencephalon, a finding consistent with animal studies demonstrating the importance of direct effects of light to the midbrain on behavior. If increased transporter activity indicated greater reuptake of serotonin during the fall/winter, and if this resulted in a lower density of cleft serotonin, then the seasonal variation in transporter activity (i.e., higher transporter efficiency in the winter) would seem to leave susceptible individuals particularly prone to mood symptoms during the darker seasons. Moreover, following BLT and during periods of remission in the summer months, the synaptic transporter activity was shown to be reduced to control levels in these patients.
BLT has also been investigated to a lesser extent in eating disorders. Because binge eating episodes have been observed to increase in fall and winter in some patients, BLT has been examined as a treatment modality for anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Thus, BLT's effects on patients with eating disorders remain enigmatic. Additional studies, including larger, randomized, blinded, and controlled trials, are needed to elucidate further the role of BLT in treating this patient population. Further research might also determine whether BLT would be a useful treatment in Binge-Eating Disorder, a diagnosis new to DSM-5.
Additionally, BLT has been studied in the context of adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), where, in addition to normal ADHD symptoms, patients often have depressed mood and difficulties falling asleep, awakening on time, and maintaining arousal (Brown & McMullen, 2001). These symptoms are indicative of a possible delay in the circadian rhythm. A case report of symptom improvement following BLT in a child with ADHD who displayed signs of delayed sleep phase also supports the idea that BLT may be useful in treating symptoms of ADHD (Gruber, Grizenko, & Joober, 2007). Whether the pathways that subserve the improvement of mood symptoms in response to BLT are the same pathways that underlie the seemingly beneficial effects of BLT in ADHD remains to be studied. While these results are promising, further studies, preferably in randomized, blinded, and controlled studies will need to be performed.
A significant immediate reduction of depression scores with light treatment can be identified after 20 minutes and reaches the maximum at 40 minutes, with no additional benefit at 60 minutes. The rate of change is steepest during the first 20 minutes of light as compared with longer intervals. Comparing the clinical impact of these durations of administration may yield different results when measured after several daily sessions. The overnight effect on circadian rhythms and sleep was not assessed in our study and is thought to impact mood regulation in SAD. Larger, prospective, controlled, and hypothesis-driven studies in more naturalistic conditions would be desirable to replicate our study results and our study results and analyze the temporal dynamic of the persistence of the immediate mood-improvement effects. Besides, in larger samples, one could define early responders and nonresponders, analyze genetic (e.g., melanopsin related genes), demographic (children, adolescents, adults, elderly, gender), physiological (e.g., pupillary responses), and clinical (e.g., abundant atypical symptoms) predictors for early response. If proven effective and efficacious, shorter exposures to bright light could become a feasible and broadly employed intervention for immediate mood improvement as an early step on the road toward full antidepressant response and remission.
