Part Three: The Application of Audio-Visual Entrainment for the Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder
By Dave Siever, President of Mind Alive, Inc.
(Reprinted by permission for the AVS Journal)
SAD Study Using Audio-Visual Entrainment
Method
The Digital Audio-Visual Integration Device (DAVID) Paradise by Comptronic Devices Limited (now Mind Alive Inc.) was used in a 4-week randomized study of 74 SAD sufferers (52 females and 22 males, avg. age = 38.5 years) to reduce the symptoms of SAD through the application of AVE. The participants were screened according to the DSM-IV, SAD requirements.
The study accepted participants from Edmonton, Alberta at roughly 53.5 northern latitude from November 1998 to March 1999.
Procedure
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) were used for the pre-test, post-test (placebo), and the post-post-test (treatment) results. A daily diary was maintained to record total sleep time, sociability at work and with the family, eating, appetite and carbohydrate intake, cravings, energy and body weight.
The participants were divided into two groups: a Control Group (CG) that did not receive the DAVID AVE unit and the Treatment Group (TG) that received “placebo” and treatment sessions.
The Treatment Group received sub-delta (placebo) frequencies of 1 Hz for 2 weeks followed by beta frequencies (treatment sessions) of 20 Hz for 2 weeks. Fifty-eight treatment participants and 16 control participants finished the study. Paired t-tests were used in the within group measurements, and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used in the between group measurements.
Results
The pre-test BDI score for both groups was 20.1. A score above nine indicates at least mild depression. Depression within the CG increased by 28% to a score of 26.1. A reduction in depression for 36% of the participants was observed in the TG during the placebo condition and during actual treatment (the beta AVE group) 100% of the participants had reduced depression (BDI = 7.3, p<0.001)
Comparison of BDI Scores Between Controls, Placebo & Treatment Groups
Of these, 84% became clinically non-depressed. The AVE male population anxiety sensitivity (AS) decreased significantly from 21% to 60% (p<0.001) from post to post-post, respectively while the control male population had a 7% increase in AS. The AVE female population showed decreased AS, from 15% to 34% (p<0.001) from post to post-post respectively, while the control group showed a mild reduction of 6%.
Comparison of ASI Scores Between Pre, Post and Post-Post Results.
Daily diary results (Figure 3) indicated marked improvements. Positive moods improved by 20%. Sociability at home with the family and at work improved by 22% and 40% respectively.
Comparison of Measures From Pre to Post-Post Conditions.
As shown, AVE participants’ food intake changed; over-eating decreased by 18%, appetite decreased by 12%, and carbohydrate intake decreased by 15%. The participants also reported happiness with their increased energy (avg. increase of 18%).
Comparison of Pre and Post-Post Measures.
The daily diary results also showed that by using AVE, some participants lost considerable weight. A group of 12 participants (8 females and 4 males) reported that their average weight gain during the winter months was 15 pounds. During the placebo condition, they had an average weight loss of 3 pounds (1.36 Kg) plus an additional average weight loss of 6.5 pounds (4.3 Kg) during the two-week treatment condition.
End of Part Three.
Copyright: David Siever, Mind Alive, Inc. for the AVS Journal. All rights reserved.