Neuroendocrine profiles associated with energy intake, sleep, and stress in the night eating syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Night eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by evening hyperphagia and frequent awakenings with ingestion of food. It is associated with obesity and depressed mood. Greater understanding of hormonal influences on NES is desirable.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to evaluate 25-h profiles of hormones involved in energy balance, sleep, and stress in NES.


METHODS
Blood assays for glucose, insulin, ghrelin, leptin, melatonin, cortisol, TSH, and prolactin were sampled repeatedly among NES and control subjects. Food intake and depressive symptoms were assessed.


METHODS
Fifteen NES and 14 matched control participants stayed three nights in a General Clinical Research Center.


METHODS
We assessed differences between NES and control participants in the 25-h profiles of eight hormones.


RESULTS
Nocturnal food intake was higher among NES participants, although their daily calorie intake was similar to that of controls. Reflecting their increased nocturnal intake, insulin (P < 0.001) and glucose levels (P = 0.07) among NES participants were higher than those of controls. Ghrelin levels were significantly lower in NES participants than in controls from 0100-0900 h (P = 0.003). Levels of plasma cortisol, melatonin, leptin, and prolactin did not differ between groups, but there was a trend for TSH levels (P = 0.07) to be higher during the 25 h in NES. NES participants had greater depressive symptoms than controls (P < 0.001). The differences in the levels of glucose, insulin, and ghrelin between NES and controls are closely associated with nocturnal food intake.
Allison
Kelly C
KC
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Weight and Eating Disorders Program, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3021, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. kca@mail.med.upenn.edu
Ahima
Rexford S
RS
O'Reardon
John P
JP
Dinges
David F
DF
Sharma
Vibhavasu
V
Cummings
David E
DE
Heo
Moonseong
M
Martino
Nicole S
NS
Stunkard
Albert J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002149:Energy Intake; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D013972:Thyrotropin