Chronotherapeutics for Affective Disorders

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'Light therapy' is the only treatment in psychiatry that directly evolved out of basic neurobiology research. It is recognized as the treatment of choice for seasonal affective disorder and has been successfully used in nonseasonal depression and other psychiatric or neurologic illnesses, including bulimia nervosa and Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, 'wake therapy' is the fastest antidepressant known. Chronotherapeutic combinations of light and wake therapy achieve fast results and, by reducing residual symptoms, also minimise relapse. This manual introduces chronotherapeutics for depression, a new synthesis of non-pharmacologic interventions designed to accelerate remission in bipolar and unipolar patients alike. It examines the underlying clinical research, explains the involvement of the circadian timing system, and provides hands-on instructions for treating inpatients and outpatients. Written by three of the most prominent experts in the research and clinical applications of chronotherapy, this book enables clinicians to implement its principles and let their patients benefit from its practicality and effectiveness. In this manual psychiatrists, psychologists, primary care physicians and health care administrators find comprehensive overviews of theory, research background, practical guidelines, and future prospects. It is also essential reading for practitioners of sleep medicine.