title: Neuroendocrine profiles associated with energy intake, sleep, and stress in the night eating syndrome.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Kelly C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Rexford S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ahima
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: O'Reardon
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Dinges
authors.forename: Vibhavasu
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cummings
authors.forename: Moonseong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Nicole S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Albert J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stunkard
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D013972:Thyrotropin