title: Neuroendocrine Profile in the Night Eating Syndrome.
abstract: Night eating syndrome (NES) has recently been getting more attention as a recognized eating disorder. NES is characterized by a delay in the circadian pattern of food intake, associated with morning anorexia, evening hyperphagia, awakenings from sleep with ingestion of food, depressed mood, and obesity. Although the behavioral characteristics of NES were first described in 1955, the neuroendocrine characteristics have only been described recently. Researchers have examined several hormones that appear to differ in night eaters compared to controls, including melatonin, leptin, and cortisol. Researchers have more recently examined the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in more detail, with emphasis on corticotrophin releasing hormone. Further studies have examined ghrelin, growth hormone, prolactin, and IGF-1, with differences observed in the circadian pattern of these hormones in those with NES compared to controls. Despite increasing interest in the neuroendocrine profile of night eating behavior, the biological basis of NES is still not well understood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obesity, Hospital of the North, Tromsø, Norway. gsb42nor@aol.com.
authors.forename: Grethe Støa
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Birketvedt
authors.affiliation: NY Obesity Nutrition Center, St. Luke's Hospital, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10025, USA. ag58@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geliebter
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of the North, Tromsø, Norway. Jon.Florholmen@unn.no.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Florholmen
authors.affiliation: Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, NIH/NIDDK, 4212 North 16th Street, Room 541, Phoenix, AZ, 85016, USA. gmarci@niddk.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Marci E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gluck
keywords: Circadian rhythm; Cortisol; Eating disorders; Ghrelin; Leptin; Melatonin; Neuroendocrine profile; Night eating syndrome; Nighttime eating; Nocturnal; Obesity; Sleep