Seasonal Affective Disorder

A syndrome characterized by depressions that recur annually at the same time each year, usually during the winter months. Other symptoms include anxiety, irritability, decreased energy, increased appetite (carbohydrate cravings), increased duration of sleep, and weight gain. SAD (seasonal affective disorder) can be treated by daily exposure to bright artificial lights (PHOTOTHERAPY), during the season of recurrence.

Also Known As:

Networked: 422 relevant articles (46 outcomes, 68 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Bipolar Disorder (Mania)
2.	Mood Disorders (Mood Disorder)
3.	Dementia (Dementias)
4.	Sleep Disorders
5.	Depressive Disorder (Melancholia)

Experts

1.	Kasper, Siegfried: 16 articles (09/2012 - 04/2002)
2.	Winkler, Dietmar: 14 articles (01/2015 - 04/2002)
3.	Praschak-Rieder, Nicole: 12 articles (01/2012 - 04/2002)
4.	Lam, Raymond W: 10 articles (10/2015 - 09/2002)
5.	Hébert, Marc: 9 articles (01/2014 - 04/2002)
6.	Willeit, Matthäus: 9 articles (05/2009 - 04/2002)
7.	Pjrek, Edda: 8 articles (09/2012 - 08/2004)
8.	Konstantinidis, Anastasios: 8 articles (05/2009 - 02/2003)
9.	Kasper, S: 8 articles (08/2008 - 03/2000)
10.	Roecklein, Kathryn A: 7 articles (11/2014 - 06/2004)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Seasonal Affective Disorder:

1.	Tryptophan (L-Tryptophan)FDA Link 01/01/2000 - "Effects of rapid tryptophan depletion in patients with seasonal affective disorder in natural summer remission." 02/01/1997 - "After at least 2 weeks of clinical remission, 12 drug-free patients who had had depression with seasonal affective disorder underwent tryptophan depletion in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced cross-over design study. " 09/01/1999 - "Tryptophan depletion: a predictor of future depressive episodes in seasonal affective disorder?" 03/01/1998 - "Effects of tryptophan depletion in fully remitted patients with seasonal affective disorder during summer." 08/01/1997 - "Eleven drug-free depressed patients with seasonal affective disorder underwent tryptophan depletion in a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. "
2.	Serotonin (5 Hydroxytryptamine)IBA 05/01/2005 - "[Platelet serotonin transport in the group of outpatients with seasonal affective disorder before and after light treatment, and in remission (in the summer)]." 01/01/2013 - "This review was prepared with an aim to show role of serotonin in seasonal affective disorder. " 01/01/2013 - "Role of serotonin in seasonal affective disorder." 01/01/2009 - "Low serotonin levels and seasonal affective disorder." 02/01/2006 - "Phase-delayed circadian rhythms during the short days of winter are characteristic of patients suffering from seasonal affective disorder, and 5-HT has been implicated in its pathophysiology. "
3.	MelatoninIBA 01/01/1988 - "It is well-established that human nocturnal melatonin secretion is suppressed by presentation of artificial light greater than 2,000 lux, a level that is also therapeutically effective in alleviating winter depression symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD]. " 04/28/1995 - "Time of onset of the nocturnal increase in melatonin did not differ between clinical responders and nonresponders, suggesting that a phase advance in the onset of nocturnal melatonin secretion is not sufficient to induce clinical remission in seasonal affective disorder." 10/01/1998 - "Eighteen patients with seasonal affective disorder and 18 controls first completed a 24-hour study in which their melatonin profiles were characterized. " 01/01/1986 - "In several studies we have found that treatment with bright environmental light, capable of suppressing human melatonin, reverses the winter depressive symptoms of patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), whereas light too dim to suppress human melatonin is therapeutically ineffective. " 05/01/2015 - "Melatonin adjusts the expression pattern of clock genes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and induces antidepressant-like effect in a mouse model of seasonal affective disorder."
4.	Fluoxetine (Prozac)FDA LinkGeneric 12/01/1995 - "On the basis of clinical response rate, fluoxetine appears to be an effective, well-tolerated treatment for seasonal affective disorder. " 12/01/1995 - "Because the differences between fluoxetine and placebo in the continuous outcome measures did not reach statistical significance, further studies with larger study groups and longer treatment periods are required to conclusively demonstrate efficacy of fluoxetine for seasonal affective disorder." 07/01/1998 - "This study investigated whether fluoxetine has antidepressant effects comparable to bright light in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (winter type). " 12/01/1995 - "Multicenter, placebo-controlled study of fluoxetine in seasonal affective disorder." 01/01/2005 - "Therapeutic mechanism in seasonal affective disorder: do fluoxetine and light operate through advancing circadian phase?"
5.	S 20098 (agomelatine)IBA 03/01/2007 - "Previous studies showed that agomelatine is able to restore disrupted circadian rhythms, which were implicated in the pathophysiology of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). " 02/28/2009 - "Agomelatine has also been found useful in treating sleep problems and improving the clinical status of patients suffering from seasonal affective disorder." 03/01/2007 - "Agomelatine in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder." 01/01/2013 - "Chronotherapeutic recommendations are tentative, although agomelatine is considered as an option for major depression and bright light therapy for seasonal affective disorder. " 12/01/2008 - "Positive findings also exist for the use of agomelatine in seasonal affective disorder and bipolar depression. "
6.	IonsIBA 05/15/2010 - "This study, conducted over the course of 5 years, assessed the antidepressant efficacy of two active treatments, bright white light and high-density negative ions, and the efficacy of two placebo treatments, dim red light and low-density negative ions, for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). " 05/15/2010 - "A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of bright light and high-density negative air ions for treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder." 01/01/1995 - "This study was designed to evaluate the antidepressant effect of negative ions in the ambient air as a potential treatment modality for seasonal affective disorder. "
7.	GTP-Binding Proteins (G-Protein)IBA 02/01/2004 - "These results suggest that the G-protein beta-3-subunit 825 T-allele does not play a major role in susceptibility to seasonal affective disorder in the population studied." 02/01/2004 - "Association with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has been found for the higher activity T-allele of the G-protein beta-3-subunit C825T polymorphism. " 02/01/2004 - "Seasonal affective disorder and the G-protein beta-3-subunit C825T polymorphism." 10/01/2003 - "C825T polymorphism in the G protein beta3-subunit gene is associated with seasonal affective disorder." 02/01/1999 - "In this study, patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) were measured for mononuclear leukocyte G protein levels while depressed during the winter, following light therapy, and in remission during the summer. "
8.	Bupropion (Wellbutrin)FDA LinkGeneric 09/01/2013 - "Bupropion for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder." 10/15/2005 - "Seasonal affective disorder and its prevention by anticipatory treatment with bupropion XL." 09/01/2006 - "Bupropion is approved for use in major depression and seasonal affective disorder and has demonstrated comparable efficacy to other antidepressants in clinical trials. " 10/01/2006 - "In addition to proven clinical efficacy for the treatment of major depression, the prevention of depressive episodes in patients with seasonal affective disorder, and as an aid to smoking cessation treatment, bupropion has demonstrated efficacy for attenuation of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and more recently it has shown anti-inflammatory action against proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which may be implicated in a number of inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease. "
9.	Vitamin B 12 (Cyanocobalamin)FDA LinkGeneric 11/01/1994 - "To test the hypothesis that cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) is an effective treatment for winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD). " 11/01/1994 - "A controlled trial of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) in the treatment of winter seasonal affective disorder."
10.	Methyl Green (Green, Light)IBA 04/01/1991 - "This study sought to determine whether an equal photon density of green light is superior to red light in treating seasonal affective disorder. " 04/01/1991 - "Treatment of seasonal affective disorder with green light and red light." 04/01/1991 - "After recruitment through the media, 20 outpatients with seasonal affective disorder participated in a balanced-order crossover trial of 1 week of green light therapy compared with 1 week of red light therapy. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Phototherapy (Light Therapy) 01/01/2009 - "Bright visible-spectrum light therapy has proven effective in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and recent basic research suggests that blue wavelengths approximately 470 nm account for that effectiveness. " 09/09/1996 - "Bright light therapy is an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder, an uncommon condition marked by mild winter depression. " 01/01/1999 - "Light therapy with bright artificial light is especially beneficial in patients with a fall/winter pattern of depressive symptomatology that has been termed seasonal affective disorder. " 08/01/2001 - "Certain treatments may be more effective in specific subtypes; for example, light therapy is useful for seasonal affective disorder. " 02/01/2000 - "Recommendations for a light therapy--PREVALENCE OF SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD): Ca. 2% of the adult population in Europe; female to male ratio 4:1. Recurrent major depressive episodes in winter with full remission in summer. "
2.	Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy) 04/01/2005 - "This analysis of randomized, controlled trials suggests that bright light treatment and dawn simulation for seasonal affective disorder and bright light for nonseasonal depression are efficacious, with effect sizes equivalent to those in most antidepressant pharmacotherapy trials. " 11/01/1999 - "A MEDLINE search (1966-1999) was performed using the search term "seasonal affective disorder." The search was subsequently focused to "drug therapy" with limits of human studies and English-language papers. " 10/01/2006 - "It was licensed as a pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation in the United States in 1997 and in the United Kingdom in 2000, and for the prevention of seasonal major depressive episodes in patients with seasonal affective disorder in the United States in 2006. " 08/01/2005 - "This article will review the published literature on pharmacotherapy of seasonal affective disorder." 08/01/2005 - "Pharmacotherapy of seasonal affective disorder."
3.	Aftercare (After-Treatment) 04/01/2014 - "This study consisted of two parts: (a) a qualitative study that used focus groups to understand the feelings of the patients with seasonal affective disorder; (b) a quantitative study that involved administration of the self-rating depression scale (SDS) and Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) before and after treatment. " 02/01/1995 - "The aim was to investigate the secretion profile of melatonin and seasonal affective disorder before and after treatment with fluoxetine. "
4.	Chronotherapy 01/01/2011 - "Seasonal affective disorders and mood disturbances caused by circadian malfunction are theoretically treatable by manipulating the circadian system using chronobiotic drugs, chronotherapy or bright light therapy. "
5.	Music Therapy 04/01/2014 - "Five-element music therapy alleviated the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder in the elderly patients." 04/01/2014 - "To explore the effects of five-element music therapy on elderly patients with seasonal affective disorder in a Chinese nursing home. " 04/01/2014 - "Effects of five-element music therapy on elderly people with seasonal affective disorder in a Chinese nursing home."