NCT02582398

Influence of Light Exposure on Cerebral MAO-A in Seasonal Affective Disorder and Healthy Controls Measured by PET

Influence of Light Exposure on Cerebral Monoamine Oxidase A in Seasonal Affective Disorder and Healthy Controls Measured by PET

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 99 (actual)
• Sponsor: Medical University of Vienna · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 55 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to assess differences in monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) distribution in the brain between seasonal affective disorder patients and healthy controls using positron emission tomography. In addition the investigators aim to demonstrate the impact of light therapy on MAO-A distribution In addition, a pilot study and a sub-study in healthy controls were performed

Detailed description

This study aims to assess differences in monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) distribution in the brain between seasonal affective disorder patients and healthy controls using positron emission tomography. In addition, the investigators aim to demonstrate the impact of light therapy on MAO-A distribution by investigating patients and controls in the winter before bright light therapy, in the winter after bright-light therapy, and in the summer. Bright light therapy will be placebo controlled, randomized, and double blinded.

Conditions

• Seasonal Affective Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Light Therapy	One subgroup of SAD patients and healthy controls respectively will receive bright light therapy using an artificial white light source (PhysioLight LD220 by DAVITA®, www.davita.de/shop/lichttherapiegeraete/lichtduschen-tageslicht/physiolight-ld-220.html) with full-spectrum 10.000lux light intensity. The treatment will be applied 30min per day at a distance of about of 50cm, preferably in the morning, during 3 weeks.
OTHER	Placebo Light	The second subgroup of the SAD patients and healthy controls will receive a non-biologically active light source (\<400nm or \>500nm). Here, the lamp will have largely similar shape and size as compared to the therapeutic device, but the fluorescent tube with the high light intensity will be replaced by an ordinary bulb.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-11-01
• Primary completion: 2017-04-03
• Completion: 2017-04-03
• First posted: 2015-10-21
• Last updated: 2018-05-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Austria