Bright Light Therapy in the Morning or Midday for the Treatment of Nonseasonal Depression in Bipolar Disorder (LuBi): A Dose-Escalation Phase 1/2 Randomized Double-Blind Trial. Geoffroy, P. A, Chevret, S., Mauries, S., Chaffaut, C., Amad, A., Bellivier, F., Benard, V., Courtet, P., Dubertret, C., Gorwood, P., Mazer, N., Mekaoui, L., Olié, E., Pataud, G., Vaiva, G., Lejoyeux, M., Sit, D., & Maruani, J. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, jun, 2025.
doi  abstract   bibtex   
Objective: This dose-escalation study aimed to evaluate the tolerance (hypomanic symptoms) and efficacy of bright light therapy (BLT) in depressed patients with bipolar disorder (BD) with mood stabilizers, using different schedules (duration and escalation), applied in morning or midday. Methods: Patients with BD I or II (DSM-IV TR) followed a 1-week placebo phase and were randomized to morning or midday BLT with dose escalation from 7.5 to 45 minutes/d, until September 2023. Inter- and intrasubject escalation were performed, with dose adjustments based on dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and target ceiling dose (TCD) of BLT exposure. The primary outcome measure, DLT, was assessed weekly after each dose initiation or increase and defined as a hypomanic switch (Young Mania Rating Scale [YMRS] score ≥12/60) or subsyndromic hypomanic symptoms (YMRS score 8-12). Results: Both groups reached the starting dose of 45 minutes without reaching the MTD or TCD, enrolling 38 patients (morning = 18 and midday = 16) and demonstrating good tolerance and acceptability. Two patients (6%) experienced a hypomanic switch at 45 minutes: 1 in the morning group (week 1) and 1 in the midday group (week 4). Five patients had subsyndromic hypomania. All symptoms improved within 3 days after dose reduction. Depressive symptoms (Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, P = .007) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores (P < .001 for severity, P = .01 for improvement) significantly improved over time. A cumulative exposure effect was observed on CGI improvement (P = .038), alongside a starting dose effect over the weeks on CGI severity (P < .001) and the Flexibility Circadian Type Inventory (P = .042). The comparison between groups shows a higher CGI improvement score in the morning group (P = .035). Conclusions: BLT is a viable antidepressant strategy for BD, safely starting at 45 minutes regardless of timing. Occurring hypomanic symptoms, if any, resolve quickly after dose reduction, provided there is careful monitoring. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03396744.
@article{Geoffroy2025,
abstract = {Objective: This dose-escalation study aimed to evaluate the tolerance (hypomanic  symptoms) and efficacy of bright light therapy (BLT) in depressed patients with bipolar disorder (BD) with mood stabilizers, using different schedules (duration and escalation), applied in morning or midday. Methods: Patients with BD I or II (DSM-IV TR) followed a 1-week placebo phase and were randomized to morning or midday BLT with dose escalation from 7.5 to 45 minutes/d, until September 2023. Inter- and intrasubject escalation were performed, with dose adjustments based on dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and target ceiling dose (TCD) of BLT exposure. The primary outcome measure, DLT, was assessed weekly after each dose initiation or increase and defined as a hypomanic switch (Young Mania Rating Scale [YMRS] score ≥12/60) or subsyndromic hypomanic symptoms (YMRS score 8-12). Results: Both groups reached the starting dose of 45 minutes without reaching the MTD or TCD, enrolling 38 patients (morning = 18 and midday = 16) and demonstrating good tolerance and acceptability. Two patients (6%) experienced a hypomanic switch at 45 minutes: 1 in the morning group (week 1) and 1 in the midday group (week 4). Five patients had subsyndromic hypomania. All symptoms improved within 3 days after dose reduction. Depressive symptoms (Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, P = .007) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores (P < .001 for severity, P = .01 for improvement) significantly improved over time. A cumulative exposure effect was observed on CGI improvement (P = .038), alongside a starting dose effect over the weeks on CGI severity (P < .001) and the Flexibility Circadian Type Inventory (P = .042). The comparison between groups shows a higher CGI improvement score in the morning group (P = .035). Conclusions: BLT is a viable antidepressant strategy for BD, safely starting at 45 minutes regardless of timing. Occurring hypomanic symptoms, if any, resolve quickly after dose reduction, provided there is careful monitoring. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03396744.},
author = {Geoffroy, Pierre A and Chevret, Sylvie and Mauries, Sibylle and Chaffaut, Cendrine and Amad, Ali and Bellivier, Frank and Benard, Victoire and Courtet, Philippe and Dubertret, Caroline and Gorwood, Philip and Mazer, Nicolas and Mekaoui, Lila and Oli{\'{e}}, Emilie and Pataud, Guillaume and Vaiva, Guillaume and Lejoyeux, Michel and Sit, Dorothy and Maruani, Julia},
doi = {10.4088/JCP.25m15826},
issn = {1555-2101 (Electronic)},
journal = {The Journal of clinical psychiatry},
keywords = {Adult,Bipolar Disorder,Double-Blind Method,Female,Humans,Male,Maximum Tolerated Dose,Middle Aged,Phototherapy,Time Factors,Treatment Outcome,adverse effects,methods,psychology,therapy},
language = {eng},
month = {jun},
number = {3},
pmid = {40608475},
title = {{Bright Light Therapy in the Morning or Midday for the Treatment of Nonseasonal  Depression in Bipolar Disorder (LuBi): A Dose-Escalation Phase 1/2 Randomized Double-Blind Trial.}},
volume = {86},
year = {2025}
}

Downloads: 0