Light Treatment and Fluoxetine Go Head to Head: Both Win

Despite multiple studies demonstrating the efficacy of both antidepressants and light therapy for treating seasonal affective disorder, the two treatments are rarely compared in the same study. A new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry by Dr. Raymond W. Lam and colleagues tested both fluoxetine and light therapy in one double-blind study. 96 patients meeting criteria for major depression with a seasonal pattern, all with HAM-D₂₄ scores of ≥23, were randomized into two treatment groups. One group received fluoxetine and 100-lux light treatment (placebo) and the other received 10,000-lux light treatment and a placebo capsule. There were no significant differences in response between the groups; clinical response rates were 67% for each treatment, and remission was roughly 50% for each group. Both treatments were well tolerated. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/5/805