Until recent times it was believed that humans do not respond to the seasonal change in
day-length, as other mammals do. However, in 1980, Dr. A. J. Lewy and co-workers at the
National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) demonstrated that high-intensity light affects
the natural release of melatonin by the pineal gland in the brain in people. This finding
determined that human physiology is influenced by light. The treatment worked. Within a short period the patient's depression lifted,
and the practice of "light therapy" or phototherapy for the treatment of a
seasonal pattern depression was born. Dr. Lewy termed this seasonal depression "Seasonal
Affective Disorder", and coined the acronym "SAD", which is
commonly used to this day. A milder, sub-clinical condition is known as "The Winter
Blues" or "Cabin Fever". In the early 1990's Sunnex Biotechnologies
approached Dr. Lewy to test a new low intensity green light technology based
on the precept that wavelength as well as intensity was a fundamental aspect
of light therapy. After agreeing that tests conducted by Sunnex
Biotechnologies indicated that nocturnal melatonin levels could be
dramatically suppressed by low intensity of this green light Dr. Lewy, agreed
to test the phase shifting ability of this new low intensity green light
on patients with Seasonal Depression (SAD). Dr. Lewy presented the
impressive results of these studies to the Society for Light Treatment and
Biological Rhythms and to the annual meetings of the Sleep Research Society and
the American Sleep Disorders
Association. The patented low-intensity green light therapy
technology used in Lo-LIGHT therapy lamps safely provides the same benefits as bright light without the discomfort,
headaches and eyestrain many people experience from "Bright Light"
therapy.
In addition to over ten years of successful use for relief of Seasonal Affective Disorder, Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT technology has been found highly effective for the treatment of non-seasonal major depression and bipolar depression. In February 2007, in the prestigious Archives of General Psychiatry it was claimed that a one week protocol with properly timed GreenLIGHT provides rapid and sustained relief of bipolar depression. This followed up studies showing dramatic benefits from GreenLIGHT in the treatment of major depression and bipolar depression. In July 2007, the Canadian Defence Department's R&D Centre compared the Lo-LIGHT tower with other light therapy devices. The purpose of the study was to select the best device for a night work adaptation program. This independent study confirmed the Lo-LIGHT tower incorporating the GreenLIGHT technology was the "best phototherapeutic [light therapy] device". Click to see why 400 lux of Sunnex light is as effective as 6-10,000 lux of "Bright Light" |