Doporučujeme prozkoumání zahraničních zdrojů, např.  U.S. National Library of Medicine (664 abstraktů k 01.10.2009), klíčová slova "bright light therapy".

Je i řada meta-analýz a přehledů účinku léčby světlem, které shrnují význam a možnosti využití. Doporučujeme např: Golden et al 2005. Použití v jiných oblastech dokumentuje např: Gammack et al 2008.

Z novější české odborné literatury lze získat informace z několika studií popisující použití léčby světlem: Krombholz a kol 2009, Praško a kol 2009, Praško a kol 2005.

Přinášíme také některá klíčová přehledná sdělení:

Praško J: Bright light therapy (Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2008 Nov;29 Suppl 1:33-64):
Bright light is a treatment of choice for seasonal affective disorder. Other indications for bright light therapy have also been tested. These include non-seasonal depression, bipolar depression, chronic depressive disorder, ante- and postpartum depression, late luteal phase dysphoric disorder, circadian phase sleep disorders, jet lag, shift work problems, and behavioral disturbance and insomnia in organic dementia. Future studies should focus on exploring the use of light therapy in combination with sleep deprivation, other classes of antidepressants, and with psychotherapy and their possible combined effect on subtypes of depression or other mentioned diagnoses, light treatment duration, and the applicability and efficacy of adjunct light treatment for in-patients.

Poirrier R, Cambron L: Bright light therapy (Rev Med Liege. 2007;62 Spec No:25-32):
Bright light therapy is a treatment that emerged in the eighties of the last century. It can be used in different pathologies such as seasonal affective disorders, major depressions, and many disorders of the wake-sleep rhythm, whether they are of primary or secondary origin. Important progress made at the basic neuroscience levels, allows today a sound understanding of the bright light mode of action. Moreover, the main indications are now the subject of consensus reports and meta-analyses which show good levels of evidence-based medicine. Bright light therapy constitutes a first choice indication in seasonal affective disorder. It is also perfectly possible to prescribe bright light therapy in the major depression disorders. It has been demonstrated that the effect size is the same as with antidepressants of reference. It is admitted nowadays that bright light therapy may be at least, an adjunct to pharmacotherapy, in order to accelerate the antidepressant effect onset, or to prolong this effect after withdrawal of the drug. Bright light therapy can also be viewed as an alternative to the pharmacological approach especially when this one is impossible, not tolerated or not accepted by the patient. The contraindications are rare.

Howland RH: Somatic therapies for seasonal affective disorders (J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2009 Jan;47(1):17-20):

The syndrome of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is defined as a history of major depressive episodes that recur regularly at a particular time of year, typically fall or winter, and completely remit in the spring. It has been hypothesized that photoperiod-related changes in the duration of melatonin secretion may be involved in the seasonal mood cycles of SAD in human beings, suggesting that artificial bright lights (mimicking daylight) might be used to treat SAD. This article reviews studies on the use of bright light therapy and antidepressant medication for the treatment of SAD. Studies have found that bright light therapy and antidepressant medication are both effective for the treatment of SAD. Bright light therapy may also be effective for treating nonseasonal depression.