TY - JOUR
T1 - Circadian misalignment in mood disturbances
AU - Lewy, Alfred J.
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - Recent refinements in methodology allow chronobiological researchers to answer the following questions: is there circadian misalignment in sleep and mood disturbances, and, if so, is it of the phase-advance or phase-delay type? Measurement of the dim light melatonin onset-to-midsleep interval, or phase-angle difference, in sleep and mood disorders should answer these questions. Although the phase-advance hypothesis of affective disorders was formulated three decades ago, recent studies suggest that many, if not all, mood disturbances have a circadian misalignment component of the phase-delay type, operationally defined as a delay in the dim light melatonin onset relative to the sleep/wake cycle. Phase-delayed disorders can be treated with bright light in the morning and/or low-dose melatonin in the afternoon/evening. Phase-advanced disorders can be treated with bright light in the evening and/or low-dose melatonin in the morning.
AB - Recent refinements in methodology allow chronobiological researchers to answer the following questions: is there circadian misalignment in sleep and mood disturbances, and, if so, is it of the phase-advance or phase-delay type? Measurement of the dim light melatonin onset-to-midsleep interval, or phase-angle difference, in sleep and mood disorders should answer these questions. Although the phase-advance hypothesis of affective disorders was formulated three decades ago, recent studies suggest that many, if not all, mood disturbances have a circadian misalignment component of the phase-delay type, operationally defined as a delay in the dim light melatonin onset relative to the sleep/wake cycle. Phase-delayed disorders can be treated with bright light in the morning and/or low-dose melatonin in the afternoon/evening. Phase-advanced disorders can be treated with bright light in the evening and/or low-dose melatonin in the morning.
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U2 - 10.1007/s11920-009-0070-5
DO - 10.1007/s11920-009-0070-5
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19909668
AN - SCOPUS:72849144008
SN - 1523-3812
VL - 11
SP - 459
EP - 465
JO - Current Psychiatry Reports
JF - Current Psychiatry Reports
IS - 6
ER -