Melatonin suppression in bipolar and unipolar mood disorders.
Nocturnal melatonin suppression to 500 lux light was studied during an acute episode of illness in 8 patients with bipolar disorder, 7 patients with unipolar depression, and 15 age-, sex-, and season-matched normal controls. Unipolar patients did not differ from controls in melatonin suppression. In contrast to previous studies, controls showed greater melatonin suppression than bipolar patients. Baseline melatonin concentration, however, was significantly lower in the bipolar group compared to the unipolar and control groups.
Lam
R W
RW
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Berkowitz
A L
AL
Berga
S L
SL
Clark
C M
CM
Kripke
D F
DF
Gillin
J C
JC
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D008550:Melatonin