SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD): SIMULATING THE DAWN
Dr Michael Terman from Columbia University originally showed that simulating a summer dawn in the middle of winter could have a salutary effect in people with SAD, helping them to wake up and feel better during the day. He accomplished this by means of a machine that turned the bedroom lights on gradually, as though the shade on the window were becoming gradually brighter as on a sunny morning in the summertime. Since this initial observation, dawn-simulators have become more compact and affordable and have been shown to help people wake up in the morning and have anti-depressant effects in controlled studies. A commonly used version fits easily into the palm of the hand and can be connected to an ordinary bedside lamp. Although not usually sufficient in itself to reverse the symptoms of SAD, a dawn-simulator is an excellent way to get the day off to a brisk start and is a very useful part of the overall programme for managing this condition.
Another innovation to come out of Terman’s department at Columbia is the use of high-dose negative ions – charged air particles emitted from a small device that looks like an air purifier. According to one study, negative ions in high dosages may have anti-depressant effects in SAD patients. More work is warranted, though, before this treatment can be recommended with any degree of confidence. Negative ions are emitted from flowing water under natural circumstances, whereas positive ions are emitted from all sorts of indoor machinery.
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