Season of birth, clinical manifestations and Dexamethasone Suppression Test in unipolar major depression

Abstract

Background: Reports in the literature suggest that the season of birth might constitute a risk factor for the development of a major psychiatric disorder, possibly because of the effect environmental factors have during the second trimester of gestation. The aim of the current paper was to study the possible relationship of the season of birth and current clinical symptoms in unipolar major depression.

Revisiting the Dexamethasone Suppression Test in unipolar major depression: an exploratory study

“…All participants were inpatients or outpatients of the Third Department of Psychiatry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Hospital AHEPA, Thessaloniki Greece and come from a study sample used in the PhD thesis of an author (KNF). The study on this specific population has already produced a significant number of publications [ 8 - 18 ].…”

Influence of photoperiod on hormones, behavior, and immune function

“…Season of birth effects in humans may reflect endocrine changes in HPA axis responsivity. Within a patient population suffering from unipolar major depressive disorder, failure to suppress Cortisol production in the dexamethasone suppression test was significantly increased in patients born in winter [105]. In elderly outpatients in the southern hemisphere, being born during flu season in both hemispheres was correlated with increased depressive and suicidal symptoms [240].…”

Potential Relationship between Season of Birth and Clinical Characteristics in Major Depressive Disorder in Koreans: Results from the CRESCEND Study

“… 17 However, differences in SOB patterns between depressed patients and controls have been paradoxical. 16 18 In addition, in a large sample of suicide completers from Hungary, Döme, et al 2 found a significant association between SOB and risk of completed suicide. Thus, using the comprehensive data from a cohort study of Korean patients with depressive disorders, we aimed to analyze the distribution and potential clinical correlates of SOB in patients with unipolar non-psychotic MDD.…”

“…To our knowledge, the effect of SOB on depressive disorder has little been studied. In a preliminary study of 45 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), Fountoulakis, et al 16 found a tendency for spring-born patients to have the greater severity of depression whereas summer-born patients had a higher level of anxiety, although statistical significance was not evaluated. Most MDD patients who failed to respond to the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test were born during the autumn/winter.…”