Immunological correlates of seasonal fluctuations in mood and behavior and their relationship to phototherapy.
Immunological parameters were studied before and after phototherapy, with bright and dim light, in 38 individuals with a range of retrospectively reported seasonal changes in mood and behavior. There was a significant negative correlation between the degree of mood and behavioral difficulties in fall and winter (seasonality) and the total number of circulating natural killer cells. Changes in the numbers of circulating helper T cells correlated significantly with changes in mood following phototherapy. Moreover, mitogen-induced lymphocyte blastogenesis increased significantly after phototherapy, but there was no significant difference between the bright and dim light treatments. The results suggest that cellular immune function is associated with both seasonality and response to phototherapy.
Kasper
S
S
Clinical Psychobiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD.
Rosenthal
N E
NE
Barberi
S
S
Williams
A
A
Tamarkin
L
L
Rogers
S L
SL
Pillemer
S R
SR
D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000528:radiation effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects*