Morning vs Evening Light Treatment of Patients With Winter Depression

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Abstract
THE DISCOVERY that human melatonin production can be suppressed by bright light1 led to the initial test of bright light in treating winter depression.2,3 Subsequently, Rosenthal and coworkers4 coined the term seasonal affective disorder (SAD) for this disorder, described its clinical features, and conducted the first controlled investigation in which comparatively dim light was used as a placebo control. A form of recurrent depression marked by an annual onset from midautumn to early winter, SAD may affect more than 10 million Americans.5 Its prevalence is greatest in females, and it is often accompanied by atypical symptoms of fatigue, hypersomnia, carbohydrate craving, and weight gain.