| A circadian signal of change of season in patients with seasonal affective disorder. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 11735838 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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BACKGROUND: In animals, the circadian pacemaker regulates seasonal changes in behavior by transmitting a signal of day length to other sites in the organism. The signal is expressed reciprocally in the duration of nocturnal melatonin secretion, which is longer in winter than in summer. We investigated whether such a signal could mediate the effects of change of season on patients with seasonal affective disorder. METHODS: The duration of melatonin secretion in constant dim light was measured in winter and in summer in 55 patients and 55 matched healthy volunteers. Levels of melatonin were measured in plasma samples that were obtained every 30 minutes for 24 hours in each season. RESULTS: Patients and volunteers responded differently to change of season. In patients, the duration of the nocturnal period of active melatonin secretion was longer in winter than in summer (9.0 +/- 1.3 vs 8.4 +/- 1.3 hours; P=.001) but in healthy volunteers there was no change (9.0 +/- 1.6 vs 8.9 +/- 1.2 hours; P=.5). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that patients with seasonal affective disorder generate a biological signal of change of season that is absent in healthy volunteers and that is similar to the signal that mammals use to regulate seasonal changes in their behavior. While not proving causality, this finding is consistent with the hypothesis that neural circuits that mediate the effects of seasonal changes in day length on mammalian behavior mediate effects of season and light treatment on seasonal affective disorder. |
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Authors:
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T A Wehr; W C Duncan; L Sher; D Aeschbach; P J Schwartz; E H Turner; T T Postolache; N E Rosenthal |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Archives of general psychiatry Volume: 58 ISSN: 0003-990X ISO Abbreviation: Arch. Gen. Psychiatry Publication Date: 2001 Dec |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2001-12-12 Completed Date: 2001-12-28 Revised Date: 2004-11-17 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0372435 Medline TA: Arch Gen Psychiatry Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 1108-14 Citation Subset: AIM; IM |
Affiliation:
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Section o Biological Rhythms, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1390, USA. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Adult Circadian Rhythm / physiology* Female Humans Hypothalamus / physiopathology Male Melatonin / blood* Middle Aged Nerve Net / physiopathology Reference Values Seasonal Affective Disorder / diagnosis, physiopathology*, psychology Seasons* |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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73-31-4/Melatonin |
| Comments/Corrections | |
Comment In:
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Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001 Dec;58(12):1115-6
[PMID:
11735839
]
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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