Recent systematic review s have shown that  light therapy  is an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment for SAD .
There is also evidence for efficacy of pharmacotherapy to treat and prevent SAD .
SAD is a common condition with significant psychosocial impairment .
BACKGROUND Seasonal affective disorder ( SAD ) consists of recurrent major depressive episodes in the fall/winter with remissions in spring/summer .
RESULTS A careful history is important to make the diagnosis and differentiate SAD from other similar conditions such as subsyndromal SAD and atypical depression .
Seasonal patterns with winter worsening are also recognized in " nonseasonal " depression as well as many other psychiatric conditions , and comorbidity with SAD is common .
The pathophysiology of SAD seems to be heterogeneous as research on circadian , neurotransmitter function and genetic hypotheses have shown discrepant results .
A dual vulnerability model with differential loading on separate seasonal and depression factors has been proposed to explain these findings .
Reboxetine in seasonal affective disorder: an open trial
Seasonal affective disorder ( SAD ) , winter type , is a condition characterized by the annual recurrence of depressive episodes during fall/winter , alternating with spring/summer euthymia or hypomania . Various neurotransmitters have been implicated in the etiology of SAD , the strongest evidence involving serotonin . Recently , increasing attention has been paid to the potential role of catecholaminergic pathways in the pathophysiology of SAD . We investigated the efficacy and tolerability of  reboxetine  , a selective noradrenaline inhibitor , in patients with SAD . Eleven out of sixteen patients who were included in a 6-week drug surveillance during winter season experienced full remission of depressive symptoms . Nine patients reported a rapid relief of preexistent severe atypical depressive symptoms within the first treatment week . Reboxetine might therefore be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for SAD patients . In conclusion , our preliminary results are in line with evidence from recent studies suggesting that catecholaminergic systems might also be involved in the pathophysiology of SAD
Recent systematic review s have shown that  light therapy  is an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment for SAD .
There is also evidence for efficacy of pharmacotherapy to treat and prevent SAD .
SAD is a common condition with significant psychosocial impairment .
BACKGROUND Seasonal affective disorder ( SAD ) consists of recurrent major depressive episodes in the fall/winter with remissions in spring/summer .
RESULTS A careful history is important to make the diagnosis and differentiate SAD from other similar conditions such as subsyndromal SAD and atypical depression .
Seasonal patterns with winter worsening are also recognized in " nonseasonal " depression as well as many other psychiatric conditions , and comorbidity with SAD is common .
The pathophysiology of SAD seems to be heterogeneous as research on circadian , neurotransmitter function and genetic hypotheses have shown discrepant results .
A dual vulnerability model with differential loading on separate seasonal and depression factors has been proposed to explain these findings .