Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms Research Articles

Nursing Students' Anticipation of Experiencing Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder

40 nursing students rated the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder on a typical day during each of four seasons. Analysis suggests that these normal college students may expect to experience many of the symptoms, although less intensely than clinically depressed patients.

Effects of bright light on resting metabolic rate in patients with seasonal affective disorder and control subjects

Many of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) could be construed as having an energy-conserving function. We predicted that SAD patients would have abnormally low resting metabolic rates (RMR), which would be increased to normal levels by light therapy. To test this hypothesis we measured RMR in 10 patients on and off light treatment and 9 normal controls. Contrary to our prediction we found that SAD patients had significantly higher RMR values compared with the normal population ( p < 0.02) and these values were significantly lowered by light treatment ( p < 0.05). The possible implications of these findings are discussed.

2- versus 4-Hour Evening Phototherapy of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has been successfully treated with bright light, and morning exposure has been deemed more effective than exposure at other times. Evening treatment may offer a practical advantage, but the optimal duration of exposure has not been established. Six SAD patients were treated at home for 1 week with 2500 lux of light given either from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. or from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. using a counterbalanced crossover design with a minimal withdrawal period of 1 week between conditions. Both treatments were effective in reversing SAD symptoms, but neither treatment was superior. These results suggest that evening phototherapy for as little as 2 hours may be a useful and reasonable alternative for the treatment of SAD.

Morning or night-time melatonin is ineffective in seasonal affective disorder

Melatonin, at the same doses used to treat circadian-rhythm related sleep disturbances, had no effect on the depressive symptoms in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) patients, whether given early (7 a.m.) or late (11 p.m.) for a week. Slight improvements in sleep were seen with night-time administration. The circadian rhythmicity of urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin was not modified in any way. Melatonin at this dosage (5 mg/day) or at these two times is therefore not a potential alternative treatment for SAD; light remains the therapy of choice.

Psychobiological effects of carbohydrate- and protein-rich meals in patients with seasonal affective disorder and normal controls

Patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) frequently report carbohydrate craving and note that carbohydrate ingestion energizes them. Bright artificial light has been shown to reverse the symptoms of SAD, including carbohydrate craving. In this study, 16 depressed SAD patients and 16 matched controls were fed two different isocaloric meals, one rich in protein and one rich in carbohydrates, in a crossover design. Although their biochemical response in terms of plasma large neutral amino acid concentrations was identical, SAD patients reported activation following carbohydrate ingestion, whereas normal controls reported sedation. Marked ordering effects on psychological parameters were noted, suggesting that order should be taken into account as a methodological consideration in meal studies.

The four seasons: Food intake frequency in seasonal affective disorder in the course of a year

Patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) report atypical symptoms of increased appetite, particularly “carbohydrate craving,” increased body weight, and sleepiness, during their winter depression. To document feeding behavior in detail, a Food/Drink Frequency Questionnaire (FDFQ) was given to female control subjects and SAD patients at each of the four seasons. SAD patients consumed carbohydrate-rich foods (starch and not sweets) more often than controls (annual mean) and also showed a seasonal rhythm with maximum values in winter and minimum values in summer. In contrast, protein-rich food intake was identical in both groups and did not show seasonal variation. Fiber- rich food intake was also increased in SAD patients. SAD patients ate more meals per day, both at breakfast and in the second half of the day. Again, SAD patients showed seasonal changes of meal number with a minimum in summer. Body weight and body mass index did not undergo significant seasonal changes in the group as a whole, nor did SAD patients differ from controls. These atypical symptoms in SAD can be interpreted as a “medial hypothalamus syndrome” involving α-noradrenergic and serotonergic mechanisms.

Light treatment of seasonal affective disorder in Switzerland.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has been characterised by two or more depressive episodes in autumn or winter (with remission the following spring or summer), decreased energy, increased sleep, increased appetite, weight gain and carbohydrate craving. SAD patients were identified in a Swiss-German population; 22 participated in a light-therapy protocol (1 week bright white light 2,500 lux or dim yellow light 250 lux, from 06-08 h and 18-20 h). Both observer and self-ratings indicated a significant diminution of depressive symptoms with both lights. One week after withdrawal from yellow light, depression ratings relapsed to previous values; remission lasted longer after bright white light. Global VAS self-rating scales for "mood" and "well-being" however, and the Hamilton scale for atypical SAD symptoms, differentiated clearly between bright and dim light: only bright light showed an improvement that persisted after withdrawal. These results suggest that even though a placebo effect cannot be excluded, 4 h explicit light exposure/day may not be a negligible quantity. Light treatment promises to be a useful non-pharmacological intervention in certain forms of depressive illness.