Whole-body cryotherapy as adjunct treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-randomized controlled clinical trial
PubMed 18250970 · doi:10.1007/s00005-008-0006-5
What was done
Outpatients aged 18–65 with ICD-10 depressive and anxiety disorders receiving standard psychopharmacotherapy were divided into a control group (n=34) and a study group (n=26). The study group additionally received 15 daily whole-body cryotherapy sessions (2–3 minutes at -160°C to -110°C). Outcomes were measured using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) over three weeks.
What was found
After three weeks, a decrease of at least 50% from baseline HDRS-17 scores occurred in 34.6% of the cryotherapy group compared with 2.9% of the control group. A decrease of at least 50% from baseline HARS scores occurred in 46.2% of the cryotherapy group and in 0% of the control group.
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary evidence that whole-body cryotherapy may serve as a rapid adjunctive intervention alongside standard pharmacotherapy for mood and anxiety disorders.
Limits
The study had a small sample size (n=60) and did not report randomization or blinding/sham controls. Follow-up was limited to three weeks, leaving long-term durability and safety unknown.
Cited by
- partial In patients with major depressive disorder, whole-body cryotherapy at -236°F to -256°F for 2 minutes (5 times per week for 2 weeks) improved Hamilton depression scores by approximately 17 points.