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New Dutch study: Light therapy can improve depression in the elderly

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   A new study shows that three weeks of light therapy using a specially designed light box can improve symptoms in older adults with depression by 54 percent. In addition to boosting a patient's mood, light therapy can also improve sleep and optimize levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin; low levels of serotonin have been shown to be associated with depression and are often the target of treatment with antidepressants. The researchers say this is the first major study to show the benefits of bright light therapy for the management of depressive symptoms in older, nonseasonal patients with major depression.