Suppression of melatonin secretion by bright light in seasonal affective disorder

SummaryMelatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland mainly during the night. The discovery that this melatonin secretion decreases under the influence of bright light, gave rise to the use of light therapy in some affective disorders. The literature on the relationship between melatonin secretion and mood is reviewed concerning seasonal affective disorder, non-seasonal affective disorder and premenstrual syndrome. Light therapy could reduce an abnormal high melatonin secretion back to normal proportions. None of the affective disorders, however, is accompanied by an unusual high melatonin level. Nevertheless, light therapy as well as other therapies that suppress melatonin have a therapeutic effect. This is not the case with the administration of melatonin. Mood is not affected by extra melatonin in seasonal affective disorder but it is in both other affective disorders. Melatonin plays a part in the pathogenesis of the affective disorders but it is not yet clear which one.

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Antidepressant-like effect of bright light is potentiated by l-serine administration in a mouse model of seasonal affective disorder

Brain Research Bulletin ◽

10.1016/j.brainresbull.2015.08.010 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 118 ◽

pp. 25-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Misato Kawai ◽

Ryosei Goda ◽

Tsuyoshi Otsuka ◽

Ayaka Iwamoto ◽

Nobuo Uotsu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mouse Model ◽

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Bright Light

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Regional electroencephalographic asymmetries in bipolar seasonal affective disorder before and after exposure to bright light

Biological Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/0006-3223(93)90104-l ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 33 (8-9) ◽

pp. 642-646 ◽

Cited By ~ 134

Author(s):

John J. Allen ◽

William G. Iacono ◽

Richard A. Depue ◽

Paul Arbisi

Keyword(s):

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Bright Light ◽

Before And After

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Suicide After Bright Light Treatment in Seasonal Affective Disorder

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry ◽

10.4088/jcp.v59n0907a ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 478 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Judith Haffmans ◽

Stefan Lucius ◽

Nicolette Ham

Keyword(s):

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Bright Light ◽

Light Treatment ◽

Bright Light Treatment

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Will light brighten the future of the depressed patient?

Acta Neuropsychiatrica ◽

10.1017/s092427080003684x ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 71-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

R.H. Van Den Hoofdakker ◽

M.C.M. Gordijn

Keyword(s):

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Pattern ◽

Bright Light ◽

Light Treatment ◽

Psychosocial Variable ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Treatment Experiment ◽

History Of ◽

Therapeutic Possibilities

The present explosive growth of interest in the therapeutic possibilities of exposure to light was triggered by a patient, Herbert Kern. He suffered from episodic depressive and manic complaints and discovered, by registering these over the years, a seasonal pattern in their occurrence. Discussions with scientists of the NIMH resulted in his participation in a bright light-treatment experiment when he was depressed in the winter of 1980-1981. He recovered.Next, the same group of investigators defined the criteria for a new syndrome, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): a history of major affective disorder (according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria), at least two consecutive years in which the depressions have occurred during fall or winter and remitted in the following spring or summer, and the absence of any clear-cut seasonally changing psychosocial variable, such as work, stress and so on.

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Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder with Light in the Evening

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.147.4.424 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 147 (4) ◽

pp. 424-428 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Steven P. James ◽

Thomas A. Wehr ◽

David A. Sack ◽

Barbara L. Parry ◽

Norman E. Rosenthal

Keyword(s):

Sleep Deprivation ◽

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Bright Light ◽

Early Morning ◽

Antidepressant Effect ◽

Comparison Study ◽

Female Patients ◽

Dim Light ◽

Effect Of Light

A cross-over comparison study of exposure, in the evenings only, to bright versus dim light was carried out on nine female patients with seasonal affective disorder. A significant antidepressant effect of the bright lights was shown. No consistent observable effects were produced by the dim lights. These results support earlier studies demonstrating the efficacy of bright light given morning and evening. The antidepressant effect of light is not mediated by sleep deprivation, and the early morning hours are not crucial for a response.

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The Diagnosis, Symptomatology, and Epidemiology of Seasonal Affective Disorder

CNS Spectrums ◽

10.1017/s1092852900019593 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 625-634 ◽

Cited By ~ 99

Author(s):

Andres Magnusson ◽

Timo Partonen

Keyword(s):

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Bright Light ◽

Light Therapy ◽

International Classification Of Diseases ◽

Emotional Symptoms ◽

Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽

Northern Latitudes ◽

Classification Of Diseases ◽

Operational Criteria

AbstractThe operational criteria for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have undergone several changes since first proposed in 1984. SAD is currently included as a specifier of either bipolar or recurrent major depressive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition has provisional diagnostic criteria for SAD. The most characteristic quality of SAD is that the symptoms usually present during winter and remit in the spring. Furthermore, the symptoms tend to remit when the patients are exposed to daylight or bright light therapy. The cognitive and emotional symptoms are as in other types of depression but the vegetative symptoms are the reverse of classic depressive vegetative symptoms, namely increased sleep and increased appetite. SAD is a common condition, but the exact prevalence rates vary between different studies and countries and is consistently found to be more common in women and in youth. SAD probably possibly occurs in children although not as commonly as in young adults. Some studies have found that certain ethnic groups who live at high northern latitudes may have adapted to the long arctic winter.

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