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Study will use of bright light therapy to relieve postpartum depression symptoms
August 2, 2010
Arnold School researcher Shannon Cornelius is launching an innovative study to determine whether bright light therapy can relieve symptoms of postpartum depression in new mothers.
About 15 percent of new mothers experience postpartum symptoms that frequently go undiagnosed and untreated, said Cornelius, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Exercise Science.
And that number, she said, is probably a serious underestimate.
“A driving force behind this project is that there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for these women. There have been no studies to see what happens when medications currently available pass through to the infant in the mother’s milk,” she said.
Mothers and their babies both suffer when the adult is depressed and unwilling or unable to provide proper nurturing, she said.
“Children of depressed women are often known to develop socialization and cognitive problems. As babies are learning, they pay attention to facial expressions. But many depressed mothers may not be expressive, and these babies may develop socialization problems as they grow up,” she said.
The study is recruiting 20 new mothers who have given birth within a year. She is seeking women who report a variety of symptoms, including depression; loss of interest or pleasure in activities; sleep and/or appetite disturbances; loss of energy/fatigue; and feelings of worthlessness/guilt.
After an initial interview, eligible mothers will have a baseline fMRI – a specialized MRI scan to map brain activity -- and complete baseline questionnaires about their mood, fatigue, sleep quality, and how they are feeling.
For two weeks, one group of women will self-administer bright light therapy for 30 minutes a day upon rising. The procedure involves sitting or working near a device, called a light therapy box, which gives off a bright light that mimics natural outdoor light.
Other study participants will undergo a similar therapy using a negative ion generator for the same duration.
During the course of the study, participants also will be asked to wear a wrist monitor, called an actigraph, which looks and acts just like a wristwatch. The device will be used to measure sleep quality and amount of daily light exposure
The actigraph gives an objective reading of how much sleep the mother is getting. Lack of sleep can also contribute to depressive symptoms, she said.
The end of the study will feature another round of questions and a second fMRI to measure any physiological changes that occur with the therapy.
Participants’ identities will be confidential throughout the study, she said.
The new experiment had its genesis in another light-therapy study that Cornelius has been working on in collaboration with her mentor, Dr. Shawn Youngstedt.
The two scientists have discovered that light therapy also has potential in relieving post-traumatic stress disorder among combat troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan
The military studies, which use a similar protocol as the one for new mothers, has helped veterans sleep better and also has relieved stress and anxiety.
