OBJECTIVE: Among potential endophenotypes proposed for bipolar affective disorder focusing on circadian abnormalities associated with the illness has particularly high face validity. Melatonin sensitivity to light is one circadian endophenotype proposed as useful in bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate melatonin sensitivity to light over a range of light intensities in order to compare and contrast responses in bipolar I patients with those of healthy adult volunteers. METHODS: The study included seven patients (4 females, 3 males) with bipolar I disorder and 34 control participants (22 females, 12 males) with no personal or family history of affective illness. Melatonin sensitivity to light was determined in all patients and participants across a range of light intensities (0, 200, 500 and 1000 lux). RESULTS: The results indicated that patients showed melatonin super-sensitivity to light in comparison with controls, a response that was consistent across the entire light intensity range investigated. CONCLUSION: The study provides further evidence for a super sensitive response in bipolar I patients and suggests that its potential usefulness as an endophenotypic marker of the illness is deserving of further research.
OBJECTIVE: Among potential endophenotypes proposed for bipolar affective disorder focusing on circadian abnormalities associated with the illness has particularly high face validity. Melatonin sensitivity to light is one circadian endophenotype proposed as useful in bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate melatonin sensitivity to light over a range of light intensities in order to compare and contrast responses in bipolar Ipatients with those of healthy adult volunteers. METHODS: The study included seven patients (4 females, 3 males) with bipolar I disorder and 34 control participants (22 females, 12 males) with no personal or family history of affective illness. Melatonin sensitivity to light was determined in all patients and participants across a range of light intensities (0, 200, 500 and 1000 lux). RESULTS: The results indicated that patients showed melatonin super-sensitivity to light in comparison with controls, a response that was consistent across the entire light intensity range investigated. CONCLUSION: The study provides further evidence for a super sensitive response in bipolar Ipatients and suggests that its potential usefulness as an endophenotypic marker of the illness is deserving of further research.
Authors: E M McGlashan; L S Nandam; P Vidafar; D R Mansfield; S M W Rajaratnam; S W Cain Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2018-09-15 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Niall M McGowan; David S Kim; Marta de Andres Crespo; Lampros Bisdounis; Simon D Kyle; Kate E A Saunders Journal: CNS Drugs Date: 2022-03-19 Impact factor: 5.749
Authors: Andrew J K Phillips; Parisa Vidafar; Angus C Burns; Elise M McGlashan; Clare Anderson; Shantha M W Rajaratnam; Steven W Lockley; Sean W Cain Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2019-05-28 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Michael J McCarthy; John F Gottlieb; Robert Gonzalez; Colleen A McClung; Lauren B Alloy; Sean Cain; Davide Dulcis; Bruno Etain; Benicio N Frey; Corrado Garbazza; Kyle D Ketchesin; Dominic Landgraf; Heon-Jeong Lee; Cynthia Marie-Claire; Robin Nusslock; Alessandra Porcu; Richard Porter; Philipp Ritter; Jan Scott; Daniel Smith; Holly A Swartz; Greg Murray Journal: Bipolar Disord Date: 2021-12-10 Impact factor: 5.345