Application of near-infrared light in treatment of atypical depression

Abstract

The invention provides a light treatment device for treating atypical depression. The light treatment device comprises a cover body and an array of near-infrared irradiation units for emitting near-infrared light with a certain range of irradiance to the head of a patient. The device can treat and / or relieve the emotion (such as depression, anxiety and the like) of the atypical depression patient, and can also treat and / or improve the cognitive competence (such as attention, memory and the like) of the atypical depression patient. In addition, the cover body can be designed into a semi-open type and is made of a light material, so that the cooling problem can be simply and effectively solved, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the application range is wider.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of medical equipment, and in particular relates to the application of near-infrared light in treating atypical depression. Background Art

[0002] Depressive disorders are a priority issue in the global health field. Depression is heterogeneous and can be divided into different subtypes based on different characteristics. It is necessary to carry out targeted treatment for different types of depression. Atypical depression has a different mechanism of occurrence from traditional melancholic depression. In addition to depressive symptoms, atypical depression also has atypical symptoms: drowsiness, increased appetite and / or weight gain, anxiety, irritability, etc. In addition, many studies have found that atypical depression has more severe symptoms, more severe cognitive impairment, and poor efficacy of conventional antidepressants (such as tricyclic antidepressants). Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention provides a light therapy device for treating atypical depression, the device comprising:

[0004] a housing configured to receive a patient's head;

[0005] An array of near-infrared irradiation units arranged in the cover body is configured to emit an irradiance of 200 mW / cm to the patient's head. 2 -300mW / cm 2 of near-infrared light.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wavelength of the near infrared light is 800nm-820nm, for example, 800nm, 805nm, 810nm, 815nm, 820nm.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the irradiance is 210 mW / cm 2 -280mW / cm 2 , for example 210mW / cm 2 、220mW / cm 2 、230mW / cm 2 、240mW / cm 2 、250mW / cm 2 、260mW / cm 2 、270mW / cm 2 、280mW / cm 2 .

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the time of light treatment is in the morning, for example, 6 am to 8 am.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, near infrared light is emitted toward the forehead of the patient.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cover body is made of a lightweight material.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cover body is semi-open. The semi-open cap can solve the cooling problem during the phototherapy process, avoid the complexity of the device caused by adding an additional cooling mechanism, and also reduce the cost of the device.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the device is capable of treating and / or alleviating the emotions of patients with atypical depression, such as depression, anxiety, irritability, etc.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the device is capable of treating and / or improving cognitive abilities, such as attention, memory, etc., of patients with atypical depression.

[0014] Beneficial Effects

[0015] The present invention provides a light therapy device for treating atypical depression, the device comprising a cover body and an array of near-infrared irradiation units that emit near-infrared light of a certain range of irradiance to the patient's head. The device can treat and / or alleviate the emotions (such as depression, anxiety, etc.) of patients with atypical depression, and can also treat and / or improve the cognitive abilities (such as attention, memory, etc.) of patients with atypical depression. In addition, the cover body can be designed to be semi-open and made of lightweight materials, which can simply and effectively solve the problem of cooling, reduce costs, and have a wider application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 PHQ-9 scores of depression before and after treatment.

[0017] Figure 2 GAD-7 scores of anxiety before and after treatment.

[0018] Figure 3 It is the change of attention before and after treatment (number of correct CPT answers).

[0019] Figure 4 is the change in working memory before and after treatment (number of correct one-back answers). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The technical scheme of the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following embodiments are only exemplary descriptions and explanations of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All technologies implemented based on the above content of the present invention are included in the scope that the present invention is intended to protect.

[0021] Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials and reagents used in the following examples are commercially available or can be prepared by known methods.

[0022] Example 1

[0023] Patients with atypical depression were selected as the research subjects. In addition to depressive symptoms, patients with atypical depression also have the following atypical symptoms: lethargy, increased appetite or weight gain, and anxiety.

[0024] A single-blind design was used. Patients with atypical depression (n = 32) were randomly divided into the experimental group (near infrared light, wavelength 810nm, irradiance 250mW / cm 2 ) and control group (ordinary red light, wavelength 630nm, irradiance 250mW / cm 2 ). One hour of treatment each morning for two weeks.

[0025] The patients' depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and cognitive abilities such as attention (CPT) and working memory (one-back) were measured before and after treatment.

[0026] PHQ-9 Depression Screening Scale: This scale is developed according to the diagnostic criteria for depression. It consists of 9 items, and the answer to each item consists of 4 options, namely, not at all, several days, more than a week, and almost every day, with corresponding scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and the total score is 27. The score can reflect the severity of depression. The higher the score, the more severe the depression.

[0027] GAD-7 Generalized Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale: It is used to evaluate the degree of anxiety and consists of 7 items. The answer to each item consists of 4 options, namely never, occasionally, often (more than one week in the past two weeks), and almost every day, with corresponding scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 respectively, and the total score is 21 points. The higher the score, the higher the anxiety level.

[0028] The auditory-visual sustained attention test (CPT) is used to test the sustained attention cognitive ability of patients with depression. An Arabic numeral (0-9) will be randomly presented in the middle of the computer screen at equal intervals. When the number "7" appears on the screen, the operator is required to press the "yes" key. If it is not the number "7", press the "no" key.

[0029] Working memory (one-back): used to test the working memory cognitive ability of patients with depression. An Arabic numeral (0-9) will be randomly presented in the middle of the computer screen at equal intervals. When the number on the screen is the same as the previous number, the operator is required to press the "yes" key. If the number on the screen is different from the previous number, press the "no" key.

[0030] Figure 1-4 The results are respectively for depression, anxiety, attention and working memory. The results showed that after one week of light therapy, the depression of the experimental group was more improved, and after two weeks, anxiety and cognitive function (attention and working memory) were more improved. This shows that near-infrared light therapy has a dual effect on mood and cognitive improvement.

[0031] The above is an explanation of the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A light therapy device for treating atypical depression, the device comprising: a housing configured to receive a patient's head; An array of near-infrared irradiation units arranged in the cover body is configured to emit an irradiance of 200 mW / cm to the patient's head. 2 -300mW / cm 2 of near-infrared light.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The wavelength of near infrared light is 800nm-820nm, for example, 800nm, 805nm, 810nm, 815nm, 820nm.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Irradiance: 210mW / cm 2 -280mW / cm 2 , for example 210mW / cm 2 、220mW / cm 2 、230mW / cm 2 、240mW / cm 2 、250mW / cm 2 、260mW / cm 2 、270mW / cm 2 、280mW / cm 2 .

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The time for light therapy is in the morning, for example, 6 am to 8 am.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Near-infrared light is emitted toward the patient's forehead.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The cover body is made of lightweight material.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The cover body is semi-open.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The device can treat and / or alleviate the emotions of patients with atypical depression, such as depression, anxiety, irritability, etc.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The device can treat and / or improve cognitive abilities of patients with atypical depression, such as attention, memory, etc.

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