Seasonal and mood independence of low basal prolactin secretion in premenopausal women with seasonal affective disorder

Article Abstract:

Seasonal affective disorder is a term for a mood disorder that appears to be associated with the change of seasons. To examine the roles of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that facilitate transmission of nerve signals to and from the brain, in this disorder, 22 premenopausal women were studied. Eight suffered from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), while 14 did not. Production of prolactin, a pituitary hormone involved in a variety of functions, is stimulated by stress. Concentrations of prolactin in the blood were determined for both groups and it was observed that the group with SAD was distinguished by very low concentrations of prolactin in the afternoon. This irregularity was not related to any other disorders. The women's prolactin concentrations were then measured in the late afternoon during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, the phase just before ovulation. These measurements were recorded for two seasons, winter and summer. The patients were also given the Hamilton depression test, and the scores of the SAD subjects were higher, indicating greater depression, in winter than in summer. However, the prolactin levels of this group remained consistently lower in both seasons than the concentrations of the control group. Variables such as weight, age, and diet were eliminated as influential factors. This low prolactin concentration was independent of mood levels and season, and researchers concluded that this was a characteristic feature of SAD. It has been put forth in two separate hypotheses that dopamine or serotonin influence prolactin secretion. However, no evidence that substantially supports or disproves either hypothesis was generated from this study.

Measurement, Menstrual cycle, Prolactin, Serotonin

---

Low electrooculographic ratios in patients with seasonal affective disorder

Article Abstract:

Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by depression during the winter months which disappears during the rest of the year. Research has indicated this form of depression may be related to the decreased environmental light that occurs in winter, and light therapy has proven effective in treating the disorder. Electrooculography (EOG) tests functioning of the retina in terms of its response to light. This study examined if retinal sensitivity as measured by EOG was different in patients suffering from seasonal affective disorder than in normal subjects. EOG tests were performed during the winter months on 19 patients with diagnosed seasonal affective disorder and on 19 comparison subjects. Mean EOG ratios (calculated as the maximum potential for adaptation to the light divided by the minimum potential for adaptation to the dark) for the patients were around 2.0, while for the comparison subjects, the mean ratio was around 2.25. Thus the ratios were significantly lower for the patients than for the comparison subjects. These results indicated that seasonal affective disorder may be related to retinal abnormalities that affect sensitivity to light. Because of limitations of interpreting EOG results, however, further research is needed to clarify the specifics of these abnormalities. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Abnormalities, Causes of, Retina, Light, Eye diseases

---

A dopamine transporter mouse knockout

Article Abstract:

The development of a mouse knockout for the dopamine transporter is illustrated through schematic diagrams. One diagram shows a situation involving a synapse from a normal animal while another illustrates the case when there is gene inactivation. The project proves that the dopamine transporter is the most important molecular part in the synapse that bars the flow of dopamine.

Neurology

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: The psychological consequences of weight gain prevention in healthy, premenopausal women. The nature of the association between diet and serum lipids in the community: a twin study
• Abstracts: Startle modulation in children with posttraumatic stress disorder. Physiological evidence of exaggerated startle response in a subgroup of Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD
• Abstracts: The role of depression in couples involved in murder-suicide and homicide. The presumptive role of fantasy in serial sexual homicide
• Abstracts: Neurochemical abnormalities of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Weighty perspectives: contemporary challenges in obesity and eating disorders

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.