Can Self-Reported Seasonality Predict Prospectively Assessed Seasonal Changes of Self-Reported Mood, Food Cravings, Body Weight, Insomnia, and Physical Activity?

Seasonal changes in mood and behaviors in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder trait.

Gender differences have been reported regarding symptoms, prevalence and heritability of seasonal affective disorders (SAD). We focus on gender aspects in this study of self-reported seasonal changes in mood and behaviour in a general population. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) was completed by 2620 adults (55.6% women) aged 35–85 years, enrolled in the Betula prospective random cohort study of Umeå, Sweden. October to February turned out to be suitable winter months. SAD was found in 2.2% and sub-syndromal SAD (S-SAD) in 5.7%. Women had about 1.5 times higher prevalences than men, and seasonality problems decreased with age in both genders. Preference for eating least was distributed with a peak in summer, whereas preference for eating most had a major peak in winter (winter eaters) and a minor peak in summer (summer eaters). Significantly more of winter eaters in women, and significantly more of summer eaters in men, felt worst in winter. Seasonal change in weight was considered significantly as a problem by women but not by men. Winter behaviour of sleeping most was considered significantly as a problem by men but not by women. Women reacted significantly to temperature-related changes (negatively to cold/short days and positively to hot/long days), whereas men reacted significantly to sunshine-related changes (negatively to cloudy days and positively to sunny days). Subtle gender differences may thus underlie the pathophysiology of seasonal problems. Studies of an eventual efficacy of treating SAD women with raised ambient temperature, and gender-specific comparisons with other therapies, would be of interest.

BackgroundWe aimed at studying the seasonal changes in mood and behaviour, the distribution of hospital admissions by season, and the persistence of the circadian type in twins with bipolar disorder and their healthy co-twins.MethodsAll Finnish like-sex twins born from 1940 to 1969 were screened for a diagnosis of bipolar type I disorder. The diagnosis was assessed with a structured research interview, and the study subjects (n = 67) filled in the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). For studying the persistence of the habitual sleep length and circadian type, we used data derived from the Finnish Twin Cohort Questionnaire (FTCQ). Bipolar twins were compared with their healthy co-twins.ResultsBipolar twins had greater seasonal changes in sleep length (p = 0.01) and mood (p = 0.01), and higher global seasonality scores (p = 0.03) as compared with their co-twins with no mental disorder. Sunny days (p = 0.03) had a greater positive effect on wellbeing in the bipolar than healthy co-twins.ConclusionsOur results support the view that bipolar disorder is sensitive to the environmental influence in general and to the seasonal effect in specific. Exposure to natural light appears to have a substantial effect on wellbeing in twins with bipolar disorder.

BackgroundObesity is a major public health problem worldwide. Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor to the cardiovascular diseases. It has been reported that disruptions of the circadian clockwork are associated with and may predispose to metabolic syndrome.Methodology and Principal Findings8028 individuals attended a nationwide health examination survey in Finland. Data were collected with a face-to-face interview at home and during an individual health status examination. The waist circumference, height, weight and blood pressure were measured and samples were taken for laboratory tests. Participants were assessed using the ATP-III criteria for metabolic syndrome and with the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire for their seasonal changes in mood and behavior. Seasonal changes in weight in particular were a risk factor of metabolic syndrome, after controlling for a number of known risk and potential confounding factors.Conclusions and SignificanceMetabolic syndrome is associated with high global scores on the seasonal changes in mood and behavior, and with those in weight in particular. Assessment of these changes may serve as a useful indicator of metabolic syndrome, because of easy assessment. Abnormalities in the circadian clockwork which links seasonal fluctuations to metabolic cycles may predispose to seasonal changes in weight and to metabolic syndrome.

Seasonal mood symptoms in bulimia nervosa and seasonal affective disorder

Changes in light availability during the winter may lead to individuals experiencing seasonal changes in mood, sleep and appetite, and in the most severely affected, seasonal affective disorder (SAD). By virtue of later activity schedules and less morning light exposure, people with evening chronotype may show higher levels of seasonal mood variation. Light information is transmitted from the eye to the brain through intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (iPRGC), neurons that help coordinate circadian and seasonal rhythms. The post-illumination pupillary response (PIPR) is an observable physiological proxy measure of iPRGC activity in humans. Past work has shown that sensitivity of iPRGC to light measured by PIPR is associated with chronotype and seasonal changes in mood, sleep and behavior. However, the sensitivity of IPRGC to light may itself vary across the day, and how these changes in light sensitivity relate to seasonal mood variation and chronotype remains poorly unstudied. To estimate morning-evening differences in iPRGC light sensitivity, we used a pupillometer to measure PIPR following blue light pulses in the morning and evening 12 h apart in 20 community volunteers. Participant chronotype was assessed using the Basic Language Morningness Scale. Seasonal mood variation was assessed using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire. PIPR was significantly larger in the evening compared to the morning. After adjusting for age and sex, morning PIPR was associated with seasonal mood variation. We did not find any association between PIPR and chronotype. Our work supports the hypothesis that iPRGC sensitivity influences seasonal mood variation and that PIPR shows morning-evening differences. Morning light may be relevant to the development of SAD.

P-1043 - Seasonality and psychopathology: any association?

ObjectiveSeasonal changes in mood and behavior are common in a general population, being of relevance to public health. We wanted to analyze whether the HRQoL is associated with the seasonal changes in mood and behavior. Because the shortage of exposure to daylight or artificial bright light has been linked to the occurrence of the seasonal changes, we wanted to know whether illumination indoors contributes to the HRQoL.MethodsOf the sample of 7979 individuals, being representative of the Finnish general population aged 30 and over, 88% were interviewed face to face, and 84% participated in the health status examination after which the self-report assessment of the HRQoL and the seasonal changes in mood and behavior took place. The illumination levels experienced indoors were asked during the interview and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was filled in before the health examination.ResultsThe HRQoL was influenced by both the seasonal changes in mood and behavior (P < 0.001) and the illumination experienced indoors (P < 0.001). Greater seasonal changes (P < 0.001) and poor illumination indoors (P = 0.0035) were associated with more severe mental ill-being.ConclusionThe routinely emerging seasonal changes in mood and behavior are associated with the HRQoL and mental well-being. Better illumination indoors might alleviate the season-bound symptoms and thereby enhance the HRQoL and mental well-being.

Genetics of seasonal affective disorder

The role of brain thyroid hormones in the mechanisms of seasonal changes in mood and behavior

The possible role of seasonal mood changes in the seasonal distribution of acute myocardial infarction.

This study explored seasonal changes in mood and behavior in relation to work conditions. For the 4850 participants, who were 30-64 years of age, had a current profession, and participated in a nationwide population-based study in Finland, data on both the work conditions and seasonal changes in mood and behavior were valid and available for 3623 persons. The participants were divided into groups of indoor and outdoor workers and those working office hours and those not working office hours. There was no difference in the seasonal changes in mood and behavior between the indoor and outdoor workers, except with respect to social activity among the women. The women working indoors reported more extensive seasonal changes in social activity than those working outdoors (P=0.008). There was no difference between the daytime workers and those working nonstandard hours, except that the men working evening and night shifts had more extensive seasonal changes in general (P=0.0001). Working indoors has a limited effect on seasonal changes in mood and behavior, whereas working evening and night shifts is associated with extensive seasonal changes among men in particular.

In this study, room brightness preferences of two groups of subjects were tested across an eight month period in a lighting simulation laboratory. Subjects were selected on the basis of their responses to the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) used by researchers to screen for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). One group of 10 subjects scored high on the SPAQ, indicating seasonal changes in mood and behavior. A control group matched on age and gender did not experience seasonal changes in any of the symptoms measured by the SPAQ. The study tested two hypotheses: (a) people with SAD are "light hungry" and should prefer a more brightly lighted room; and (b) if "light hunger" is seasonal, then the SAD group should prefer brighter light in the winter than in the spring months. Results indicate that the SAD group preferred a more brightly lighted room than did the control group across all testing sessions, thus supporting the first hypothesis. Because lighting levels did not differ significantly across the testing sessions, light hunger does not appear to be a seasonally expressed need. The SAD group had significantly higher levels of negative affect and depression across the testing sessions than did the control group. However, the SAD-like symptoms did not disappear in June, as expected. These findings suggest that (a) the SAD group did not, in fact, have SAD; or (b) testing did not occur long enough to measure mood and behavior changes. Results are discussed in terms of vulnerability to affective episodes and lack of light in the environment.

Prevalence of seasonal changes in mood and behavior during the winter months in central Texas

Seasonal mood changes in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder