Bright light exposure during acute tryptophan depletion prevents a lowering of mood

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 Jan;18(1):14-23. Epub 2007 Jun 19.

Bright light exposure during acute tryptophan depletion prevents a lowering of mood in mildly seasonal women.

aan het Rot M, Benkelfat C, Boivin DB, Young SN.Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1A1. Marije.aanhetRot@elf.McGill.ca

We investigated the influence of bright light exposure on the mood-lowering effect of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD). Mildly seasonal healthy young women without a personal or family history of psychiatric disorders remained in either dim or bright light during two test days. Tryptophan-deficient and nutritionally balanced amino acid mixtures were administered in counterbalanced order. Mood state was assessed using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). In dim light, ATD decreased POMS scores across most subscales, indicating a worsening of mood. In bright light, mood was unaffected by ATD. Thus, bright light blocked the worsening of mood caused by ATD. This was also observed on the positive mood VAS. These results indicate a direct, immediate interaction between bright light and serotonin function. Bright light might help protect against ATD-induced mood change by increasing serotonin above the threshold level below which there is a lowering of mood.

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