Has the sun set for seasonal affective disorder and HPA axis studies? A systematic review and future prospects

Agustini, Bruno; Bocharova, Mariia; Walker, Adam J.; Berk, Michael; Young, Allan H.; Juruena, Mário F.

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.06.060

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 63 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These include attenuated cortisol levels, changes in EEG alpha waves and reduced brainstem volume. In a systematic review of 13 studies, an attenuated cortisol awakening response was noted in winter, but not in the summer months [32]. A dexamethasone suppression test suggested a normal suppression of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.…”

Section: Potential Underlying Biological Mechanisms For Seasonal Affe...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Narrative Review

Field

2024

J Clin Psychol Neurol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This narrative review of research includes summaries of 46 papers on seasonal affective disorder that were published during the period 2019-2023. The publications are primarily cross-sectional studies of risk factors, randomized controlled trials for light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy and systematic reviews. A few of the papers are focused on the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder which has varied by latitudes and climates from 3% in Saudi Arabia to 21% in Norway, suggesting length of day and sunlight effects. Only a few studies focused on the negative effects of seasonal affective disorder including sleep problems, depression and poor performance on memory tasks. Most of the research has addressed risk factors for developing seasonal affective disorder including younger age, female gender, dependent personality, seasonal beliefs, chronotype (eveningness), inactivity, insomnia and depression. Very few potential underlying mechanism studies appeared in this literature with the exception of MRI studies suggesting reduced brainstem volume. In contrast, many intervention studies were published recently including light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Methodological problems relate to the variability in the assessments of seasonal affective disorder, the reliance on self-report measures and the cross-sectional data that are not definitive about directionality of predictors and effects of seasonal affective disorder.

show abstract

Section: Potential Underlying Biological Mechanisms For Seasonal Affe...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Narrative Review

Field

2024

J Clin Psychol Neurol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is unclear how the spectral characteristics of light exposures affect the circadian rhythmicity of cortisol. Such knowledge is clinically important, with light intervention treatments increasingly being trialled for affective and behavioural disorders, such as depression [12], sleep disorders [13], and cancer-related fatigue [47,48], in which cortisol rhythms may play a role in the underlying pathophysiology [49][50][51][52]. Such interventions typically involve short daytime exposures to bright white or blue light; however, the spectral power distributions of the light sources are often not explicitly reported or optimized (see review by van Maanen et al [53]), and an uncertainty about the baseline effects of different light spectrums on cortisol has complicated the interpretation of trial outcomes (e.g., [47]).…”

Section: Systematic Review Aimsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Light Wavelength on Human HPA Axis Rhythms: A Systematic Review

Robertson-Dixon,

Murphy,

Crewther

et al. 2023

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Environmental light entrains many physiological and behavioural processes to the 24 h solar cycle. Such light-driven circadian rhythms are centrally controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which receives information from the short-wavelength-sensitive intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. The SCN synchronizes local clocks throughout the body affecting sleep/wake routines and the secretion of neuroendocrine-linked hormones such as melatonin from the pineal gland and cortisol via the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Although the effects of light parameters on melatonin have been recently reviewed, whether the experimental variation of the spectral power distribution and intensity of light can induce changes in cortisol rhythms remains unclear. Thus, this systematic review evaluated the effects of daytime exposure to lights of different spectral wavelength characteristics and luminance intensity on the cortisol levels in healthy individuals. A search of the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library databases on 19 June 2023 identified 3418 articles, of which 12 studies (profiling 337 participants) met the inclusion and risk of bias criteria. An analysis of the literature indicated that exposure to bright lights of any colour during the late night or early morning can induce significant increases in cortisol secretion relative to time-matched dim light comparison conditions. Furthermore, exposure to bright lights with stronger short-wavelength (blue/green) components in the early morning typically induced greater increases in cortisol relative to lights with stronger long-wavelength (red) components. Thus, the circadian regulation of cortisol is sensitive to the wavelength composition of environmental lighting, in line with the more commonly studied melatonin. As such, wavelength characteristics should be optimized and reported in light intervention studies (particularly for the investigation of cortisol-associated disorders and HPA axis function), and exposure to short-wavelength light during sensitive periods should be carefully considered in constructed environments (e.g., bedroom and classroom lighting and device screens).

show abstract

“…Criminological research indicates that daily temperature is associated with higher levels of aggravated crime [28] and property crime [29][30][31][32][33]; and arguably the best-known work in this space concerns the relationship between weather and mood disorders, most notably seasonal affective disorder, such that depressive symptoms are experienced more commonly in colder, darker months (e.g. [34][35][36]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Here comes the sun: music features of popular songs reflect prevailing weather conditions

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We examine associations between prevailing weather conditions and music features in all available songs that reached the United Kingdom weekly top charts throughout a 67-year period (1953–2019), comprising 23 859 unique entries. We found that music features reflecting high intensity and positive emotions were positively associated with daily temperatures and negatively associated with rainfall, whereas music features reflecting low intensity and negative emotions were not related to weather conditions. These results held true after controlling for the mediating effects of year (temporal patterns) and month (seasonal patterns). However, music–weather associations were more nuanced than previously assumed by linear models, becoming only meaningful in those months and seasons when changes in weather were the most notable. Importantly, the observed associations depended on the popularity of the music: while songs in the top 10 of the charts exhibited the strongest associations with weather, less popular songs showed no relationship. This suggests that a song's fit with prevailing weather may be a factor pushing a song into the top of the charts. Our work extends previous research on non-musical domains (e.g. finance, crime, mental health) by showing that large-scale population-level preferences for cultural phenomena (music) are also influenced by broad environmental factors that exist over long periods of time (weather) via mood-regulation mechanisms. We discuss these results in terms of the limited nature of correlational studies and cross-cultural generalizability.

show abstract

Has the sun set for seasonal affective disorder and HPA axis studies? A systematic review and future prospects

Cited by 9 publications

References 63 publications

Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Narrative Review

Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Narrative Review

The Influence of Light Wavelength on Human HPA Axis Rhythms: A Systematic Review

Here comes the sun: music features of popular songs reflect prevailing weather conditions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About