NEUROBIOLOGY OF SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

正如我们在其他地方描述的那样，季节性情感障碍患者 (悲伤)每年秋季和冬季都会出现抑郁的周期 在春天或夏天交替出现的兴高采烈或轻躁的。 在过去，我们通过以下方法研究了SAD患者的神经生物学 研究他们的睡眠和神经内分泌功能。我们发现， 与之相比，他们的睡眠时间更长，冬季的三角洲睡眠时间更短 随着夏天的到来。然而，地塞米松抑制皮质醇的分泌 外注射TRH后TSH释放正常。 在过去的一年里，我们的神经生物学研究围绕着 SAD患者的褪黑素代谢。在7个月的48小时内抽血 分别为夏季和冬季的悲伤患者和7名正常志愿者 建立患者和正常人褪黑素的分泌模式。 此外，还注射了褪黑素前体5-羟色胺 在冬季给10名患者和10名正常志愿者口服 在5小时内抽血进行褪黑激素分析。我们 假设也许自闭症的特征是褪黑激素的过量生产 而如此大量的褪黑素前体会导致更大的 患者体内褪黑激素的产生高于正常人。褪黑激素 样本还有待分析。

As we have described elsewhere, patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have annually occurring cycles of depression in fall and winter alternating with euthymia or hypomania occurring in the spring or summer. In the past we have investigated the neurobiology of patients with SAD by studying their sleep and neuroendocrine functioning. We have found that they sleep longer and have reduced delta sleep in the winter, as compared with the summer. However, dexamethasone suppression of cortisol secretion and TSH release in response to externally injected TRH appear normal. This past year our neurobiological investigations have revolved around melatonin metabolism in SAD. Blood was drawn over a 48-hour period in 7 SAD patients and 7 normal volunteers both in summer and in winter in order to establish the pattern of melatonin secretion in patients and normals. In addition, the melatonin precursor, 5-hydroxy-tryptamine was administered orally to 10 patients and 10 normal volunteers in the winter months and blood was drawn over a 5 hour period for melatonin analysis. We hypothesized that perhaps SAD is characterized by melatonin overproduction and that such a load of melatonin precursor would result in greater production of melatonin in patients than in normals. The melatonin specimens have yet to be analyzed.