Open study of effects of alprazolam on seasonal affective disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) differs from depression with melancholic features in atypical symptoms, such as hyperphagia, hypersomnia and weight gain. Moreover, SAD is confined to a certain season of the year. We examine d the pharmacological efficacy of alprazolam for treatment of patients with SAD. Six patients with SAD were treated with alprazolam at doses of 1.2 mg /day or 1.2 mg/day first and then 2.4 mg/day for 2 weeks. The improvement w as evaluated by the change of total score of the SIGH-SAD (with both 21 ite ms HAMD and eight items atypical symptoms) and the clinical global impressi on (CGI). Although only two patients showed a remarkable improvement by SIG H-SAD, all patients showed a higher than moderate improvement with CGI. Our findings suggest that alprazolam might be efficacious for certain SAD pati ents.