- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT00001485
Effects of Season on Melatonin Secretion in Healthy Men and Women and Patients With Seasonal Affective Disorder
Gender Differences in the Effects of Season on Patterns of Nocturnal Melatonin Secretion in Healthy Volunteers and Patients With Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
As the seasons change during the course of the year, many animals show major changes in their behavior and physiology. Many of these changes are triggered by changes in the length of time each night that the pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is produced for a longer time in winter when nights are long, than in summer when nights are short.
Some researchers believe that melatonin may play a similar role in how season effects mood of patients with seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or mood disorder with seasonal pattern is a condition where the normal biorhythm is disturbed during a season, especially autumn-winter. Patients may begin experiencing or experience worsening of depressive symptoms. Patients complain of being constantly tired, craving sugary foods, overeating, and over sleeping.
Researchers have collected some preliminary data showing that the duration of nighttime melatonin secretion increases in winter and decreases in summer in healthy women, but not in healthy men. However, men diagnosed with SAD have shown longer duration of melatonin secretion in the winter, similar to the duration seen in healthy women. If these early findings are confirmed it may explain why SAD is more common in women than in men.
The purpose of this study is to continue researching the differences in melatonin secretion over the seasons in healthy men and women, and to determine how these findings may apply to patients with SAD.
Study Overview
Status
Conditions
Detailed Description
Study Type
Enrollment
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
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Maryland
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Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
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Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- ADULT
- OLDER_ADULT
- CHILD
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Genders Eligible for Study
Description
Normal volunteers must be free of psychiatric illnesses.
Patients must meet the criteria of Rosenthal et al. for the diagnosis of SAD, as determined by a DSM IV diagnostic interview, and must be free of other major psychiatric illnesses.
All subjects must be free of major medical illnesses and must not be taking medications on a regular basis.
Patients must not test positive for antibodies to the AIDS virus.
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Collaborators and Investigators
Publications and helpful links
General Publications
- Wehr TA. The durations of human melatonin secretion and sleep respond to changes in daylength (photoperiod). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Dec;73(6):1276-80. doi: 10.1210/jcem-73-6-1276.
- Wehr TA, Moul DE, Barbato G, Giesen HA, Seidel JA, Barker C, Bender C. Conservation of photoperiod-responsive mechanisms in humans. Am J Physiol. 1993 Oct;265(4 Pt 2):R846-57. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.1993.265.4.R846.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start
Study Completion
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (ESTIMATE)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- 950149
- 95-M-0149
This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.
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ProofPilotJoovvCompletedSeasonal Affective DisorderUnited States
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