Blue Light Blocking Treatment for the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: Directions for Research and Practice

Abstract

Recent results from a small number of clinical studies have resulted in the suggestion that the process of blocking the transmission of shorter-wavelength light (‘blue light’ with a wave length of 450 nm to 470 nm) may have a beneficial role in the treatment of bipolar disorder. This critical review will appraise the quality of evidence so far as to these claims, assess the neurobiology that could be implicated in the underlying processes while introducing a common set of research criteria for the field.