There has been a patent application for a cellphone which would emit light of the kind used in treating Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

“The patent, US 2006/0183516 calls for a phone to be fitted with a number of light panels on the face of the phone which would deliver “light therapy” to the users face when the phone is in use.”

You’d have to be on the phone an awful lot to benefit - sounds like a bit of a gimmick but I’ll reserve judgement until it appears.

The Cellphone That Wont Make You SAD

technorati tags:SAD, Seasonal+Affective+Disorder

In the days when I worked in a big corporate open-plan office - the kind with cubicles like Dilbert, there was always a fight for the seats by the windows despite the view being nothing but concrete. We all want more natural light with or without SAD. Now scientists have found that it helps are brains stay more alert too. No surprises there then.

“A team of scientists in Britain and Belgium have found that sitting in bright light for 21 minutes in the morning significantly increases your alertness.”

Brilliant discovery - Health - Times Online

technorati tags:SAD, window, light, seasonal+affective+disorder

Recent research at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development suggests that babies who are denied access to natural light (such as those who are premature and subject to artificial lighting in hospital for some time) may experience an interference in the development of their biological clock.

The research found that constant light prevented the development of the biological clock in baby mice.

While lighting is important for the staff working overnight in hospitals, thsi report suggests that the effects on both nurses and patients needs to be studied more.

Vanderbilt News Service

technorati tags:Light+exposure, SAD, Babies, Biological+Clock

This article has a description of all the types of light bulb out there (and who knew there were so many) but note the warning

“Some full-spectrum bulbs are marketed as being useful in treating Seasonal Affective Disorder, but lighting expert Joe Rey-Barreau notes that the treatment for the disorder involves amount rather than type of light.”

Beacon Journal | 08/19/2006 | SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON BULB NOMENCLATURE

technorati tags:SAD, Seasonal+Affective+Disorder, light+bulbs

Apologies that I haven’t blogged for a bit - it has been an amazing summer here in Edinburgh and SAD thoughts have been far from my mind.

Fantastic summer weather here though is anything between 24 and 30 C (up to about 84F!). Although the heat has been hard to cope with at times (we are just not used to it in Scotland and air-conditioned homes are a great rarity) it was not enough to bring on the kind of seasonal affective disorder found in summer.

I just read this article from the Edmond Sun which explains just how depressing and enervating heat can be for some folks. If you’re driven to stay indoors in air-conditioned rooms the lack of fresh air (and negative ions) and even ironically the lack of daylight can bring on a kind of summer depression which lifts when the weather grows cooler.

I heard to that excessive use of sunglasses can lead to SAD - the light is just not reaching your eyes even though it is bright.

If you have the kind of summer where you feel like you want to stay indoors make sure you still get some natural light - maybe by walking outdoors in the early morning when it’s cooler or even spending a little time in dappled shade - it will still be lighter than indoors.

The Edmond Sun, Edmond, OK - Is summer making you SAD?

technorati tags:SAD, Seasonal+Affective+Disorder, Summer, Heat, Negative+ions