Winter depression, or seasonal affected disorder is an emotional, depressive disorder that depends on the season and usually appears during the fall and winter months.
SAD is counted as a special form among the recurring depressive disorders.
Along with the usual depressive symptoms, such as glum moods, a lack of energy and anxiety, other symptoms atypical of depression can occur.
Seasonally independent depression, in contrast, usually leads to a loss of appetite, weight and sleep.
In general, the disrupted biological daily cycle is seen to be one cause for this. The interplay of serotonin and melatonin is disrupted by the reduced sunlight in the winter months. Light-sensitive ganglion cells send signals to the brain which then adjusts our internal clock to the corresponding light-quality. The brain’s pineal gland will, for instance, pour out serotonin at daybreak to wake us up, refreshen us and improve our mood.
Conventional devices for light-therapy are usually special table lamps. The patients need to expose themselves to the light for approximately 1 - 2 hours at a distance of about one meter.
This is a time consuming and annoying procedure and not easily accomplished by anyone who leads a busy life.
But there is a new way!
Just 15 minutes per treatment that can even be taken care of on the go!
As easy as listening to music…
The Valkee 2 light headset is the first of its kind to offer mobile, inconspicuous light therapy that can be applied during other activities.
The Valkee 2 light headset was especially designed to treat the so-called winter depression (SAD - Seasonal Affected Disorder).
The Valkee is a clinically tested and certified according to CE-certification class 2(a) for medical devices.
The realization that not only our eyes are sensitive to light kickstarted the development of Valkee.
Light sensitive areas in our brains have survived millions of years of evolution.
It is assumed that the brain’s light sensitive areas are remains from a prehistoric time, when living creatures had not yet developed separate eyes in today’s, human sense.
Clinical research has shown that these areas can be reached via the ears.
The energy of an electromagnetic wave - such as light - decreases at 1/r2. This means that the increase in distance between patient and light-source by a factor of 2 reduces the light’s efficiency down to a quarter of its original power.
This led to the idea of creating a more immediate way of applying light to the patient’s brain’s light sensitive areas by reducing the distance between source and patient.
This resulted in the development of the Valkee light headset
This makes the Valkee…
The usual duration per treatment is 12 mins (factory setting), adjustable to 3 - 12 minutes.
Keep winter blues at bay by channeling a 10,000 lux light beam at light-sensitive areas of the brain