Bright Light Therapy for Teen Depression: JAMA Trial Results

Does Bright Light Therapy Help Hospitalized Teens with Severe Depression?

A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry examined whether the effects of adolescent psychiatric inpatient treatment as usual for major depressive disorder can be enhanced by simultaneous use of morning bright light therapy. This study of 224 adolescents found that 4-week inpatient treatment as usual augmented by bright light therapy was not superior to treatment as usual plus placebo red light. Both groups showed significant reductions in depressive symptoms, and there were no serious adverse events during the trial caused by light-related interventions.

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Weakened Brain Network Connectivity in Adolescent Depression

How does depression affect teenage brain networks?

Adolescent depression weakens communication between brain networks responsible for attention and self-reflection, making it harder to switch between internal thoughts and external focus. A neuroimaging study of 30 adolescents with depression and 32 healthy controls found that key brain regions showed reduced ability to regulate each other’s activity.

Depression disrupts communication between the salience network (which filters important information) and the default mode network (active during self-reflection), explaining why depressed teenagers struggle with attention and get trapped in negative thought patterns.

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