Depression, according to some statistics, may be the main cause of disability. An estimated 350 million people suffer from depression worldwide. Most of these patients do not even undergo treatment.
Clinical antidepressants do not match the correct and adequate treatment of depression. Only 35% of patients with major depressive disorder report positive dynamics when taking a serotonergic antidepressant.
Studies in Sequential Alternative Therapies to Relieve Depression (STAR * D) showed that four drug changes were effective in only 13% of patients.
Many authors, conducting research at the current stage in the field of neurobiology, concluded that the theory of the etiology of depression, based on changes in neurotransmitters , turned out to be false. Therefore, all of the drug therapies used for depression have been ineffective.
Biological mechanisms to look out for are oxidative stress, inflammation, neurodegenerative processes, and decreased metabolism.
One of the effective methods is treatment with light in the wavelength range 600-1200 nm . Light is absorbed by cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria . Which leads to a change in reactive oxygen species and the activation of nuclear factor kappa B, this promotes replication (DNA duplication). In addition, light irradiation decreases the expression of pro-apoptotic genes, increases the expression of anti-apoptotic genes, and increases the expression of neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor and BDNF. This stimulates the processes of synapsogenesis and neurogenesis.