Season of Birth in Panic Disorder

Castrogiovanni, Paolo; Iapichino, S.; Pacchierotti, Claudia; Pieraccini, Fulvio

doi:10.1159/000026616

Cited by 13 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder have an excess of winter births, whereas major depression has an excess of spring births (34). The monthly distribution of birth in patients with panic disorder peaks in September to December (35). Winter is associated with seasonal depression in adults (4) and young infants, and it 67 SEASONALITY OF MELATONIN PRODUCTION IN INFANTS is apparently associated with colic (19,20) and possibly SIDS (5).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Melatonin Production in Healthy Infants: Evidence for Seasonal Variations

Sivan¹,

Laudon

Tauman³

et al. 2001

Pediatr Res

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The objective of this study was to determine the normal range of nocturnal urinary excretion of the major melatonin metabolite, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6SMT) in a large sample of healthy fullterm infants (8 and 16 wk old) and assess whether the endogenous production of melatonin changes with season. 6SMT was assessed in urine samples extracted from disposable diapers removed from full-term, 8-(n ϭ 317) and 16-wk-old (n ϭ 93) infants over the nocturnal period (19:00 -08:00 h). In addition, 6SMT was assessed in 8-wk-old (n ϭ 35) healthy infants over the entire 24-h period. 6SMT was determined by an ELISA assay. 6SMT excretion at 8 wk of age exhibited diurnal variations with (mean Ϯ SD) 61 Ϯ 18% of the daily production excreted during the nocturnal period regardless of season. The nocturnal 6SMT values in the entire cohort (at 8 as well as 16 wk of age) were found to significantly depart from normal distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test). A normal distribution was obtained using a natural base logarithmic (ln) transformation of the data. The normal range (2.5-97.5 percentile of the ln 6SMT excretion per night) was thus defined as 4.66 -8.64 (106 -5646 ng/night) for 8-wk-old and 5.19 -9.67 (180 -15,820 ng/night) for 16-wk-old infants. A significant effect of the month of birth on 6SMT production at the age of 8 wk was found (ANOVA, p Ͻ 0.002) with maximal levels produced by infants born in June (summer solstice) and minimal excretion in infants born in December (winter solstice). Short-photoperiod-born infants excreted on average about threefold less 6SMT compared with long-photoperiod-born infants (t test, p ϭ 0.01). The seasonal variations were no longer present at 16 wk of age. No effect of breast-feeding at the time of sampling on seasonality of 6SMT was found. Normal ranges for the nocturnal urinary excretion of 6SMT in full-term infants at 8 and 16 wk of age are defined. This enables the evaluation of nocturnal 6SMT excretion as a prognostic and diagnostic factor for child development. The strong effect of season on the normal excretion of nocturnal 6SMT at 8 but not 16 wk of age suggests prenatal influence of the photoperiod on the ontogeny of melatonin. The changes in photoperiod are major environmental cues for initiating seasonal acclimatization of thermoregulatory mechanisms and reproduction. In all mammals studied to date, including humans, the nocturnal production of melatonin by the pineal gland reflects the photoperiod (1, 2) and plays a key role in seasonal acclimation. Humans are not considered photoperiod sensitive, although some disorders such as seasonal affective disorders (3) and cluster headache (4) have been associated with a particular season.Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was shown to occur more frequently during the winter months, during the night, and during the first months of life (5). Some evidence links pineal dysfunction and impaired development with increased prevalence of SIDS (6, 7). A delayed melatonin production was found in infants who had experienced an apparent lifethreate...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Melatonin Production in Healthy Infants: Evidence for Seasonal Variations

Sivan¹,

Laudon

Tauman³

et al. 2001

Pediatr Res

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“…Some authors suggest that the retinal structures are involved in the PD pathogenesis-an involvement related to the development of the central nervous system (CNS), particularly the primary visual cortex, which is specifically influenced by environmental light stimuli (18,19). In a retrospective study carried out in our institute, a peculiar seasonal distribution of birth dates in patients affected by PD was observed; specifically, birth dates in autumn and winter increased, with a peak in September (1). Therefore, we hypothesize that lack of light exposure in the early months following birth, which is fundamental for the development of the CNS and visual structures, may be a predisposing factor for PD onset.…”

mentioning

confidence: 91%

“…In fact, although PD is defined as a chronic disorder, long periods of remission alternating with periods of exacerbated symptomatology are observed, particularly in summer (1)(2)(3)(4). Various studies report more frequent onset of the disorder between March and August (2,5,6).…”

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confidence: 99%

Panic-Agoraphobic Spectrum and Light Sensitivity in a General Population Sample in Italy

et al. 2005

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Objective: This study aimed to verify a possible correlation between panic symptoms and photosensitivity, not only in panic disorder (PD) but also in the panic-agoraphobic spectrum. Method:One hundred and sixty-nine healthy and drug-free subjects completed the Structured Clinical Interview for Panic-Agoraphobic Spectrum-Lifetime version (SCI-PAS-Lifetime) and the Photosensitivity Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). Results:The SCI-PAS-Lifetime total score was positively correlated with the total score of the PAQ photophobia subdimension (r = 0.44; P < 0.001); the SCI-PAS-Lifetime total score was not significantly correlated with the photophilia subdimension. As photophobia increased, we observed significant score increases in all SCI-PAS-Lifetime domains. Bivariate correlation showed higher coefficient correlation between the panic-like symptoms domain and photophobia (r = 0.44; P < 0.001). Conclusions:A high total score in the SCI-PAS-Lifetime, which denotes more typical features of the spectrum, is associated with a higher level of light sensitivity and intolerance toward bright stimuli. This finding reflects clinical evidence that widely documents photophobic behaviours in subjects with PD and the importance of light stimuli exposure during the onset and course of such a disorder. Bright stimulation seems to be relevant both in PD diagnosed according to current DSM criteria and in the entire panic-agoraphobic spectrum, from nuclear elements of the disorder through subclinical states to the normal condition. Clinical Implications· This study confirms clinical evidence and literature data that document photophobic behaviours in subjects with panic disorder (PD), as well as the importance of light stimuli exposure during the onset and course of such a disorder. · The possible presence of panic spectrum elements in patients affected by psychiatric disorders other than PD and their relation to light hypersensitivity suggest the importance of carefully assessing subsyndromic panic symptoms. They may explain seasonal changes in some aspects of the course of evident clinical Axis I disorders. · The relation between light stimulation and panic spectrum elements could have meaningful implications for the course and prognosis of the clinical manifestations, especially with reference to seasonal changes, with significant consequences for clinical remission and maintenance therapy. Limitations· We considered a small sample that was not homogeneously distributed between men and women; photophobia and photophilia scores did not have a Gaussian distribution. · The Photosensitivity Assessment Questionnaire was designed for a Mediterranean population, and its outside test validity and reliability were evaluated in an Italian population only. · Further studies using larger, homogeneous samples are needed to conduct a more in-depth investigation of the relations between spectrum model, nosographic entities of current classification systems, and light sensitivity.

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“…Previous research suggests statistical associations between season of birth (SOB) with prevalence of neurobehavioral disorders such as schizophrenia (Davies et al, 2003; Hori et al, 2012a; Bersani et al, 2006; Cohen and Najolia, 2011; Torrey et al, 1997), bipolar disorder (Torrey et al, 1997) and panic disorder (Castrogiovanni et al, 1999), and traits such as lifespan (Doblhammer and Vaupel, 2001), novelty and sensation seeking (Eisenberg et al, 2007; Roussos et al, 2010; Chotai et al, 2009a) and suicidality(Woo et al, 2012; Salib and Cortina-Borja, 2006). Proposed explanations for these associations include variations in infectious disease exposure, nutrition, temperature, maternal hormones, maternal egg quality, birth complications and photoperiod (Jongbloet et al, 2005; Doblhammer and Vaupel, 2001; Schwartz, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prediction of individual season of birth using MRI

Pantazatos

2014

NeuroImage

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Previous research suggests statistical associations between season of birth (SOB) with prevalence of neurobehavioral disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, personality traits, and suicidal behavior. These effects are thought to be mediated by seasonal differences in perinatal photoperiod, which was recently shown to imprint circadian clock neurons and behavior in rodents. However, it is unknown whether SOB is associated with any measurable differences in the normal human adult brain, and whether individual SOB can be deduced based on phenotype. Here I show that SOB predicts neuroanatomical differences in regional grey matter volume, and that MRI scans carry spatially distributed information allowing significantly above chance prediction of an individual’s SOB. Using an open source database of over 550 structural brain scans, Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) analysis showed a significant SOB effect in left superior temporal gyrus (STG) in males (p=0.009, FWE whole-brain corrected), with greater grey matter volumes in fall and winter births. A cosinor analysis revealed a significant annual periodicity in left STG grey matter volume (Zero Amplitude Test: p<5×10-7), with a peak towards the end of December and a nadir towards the end of June, suggesting that perinatal photoperiod accounts for this SOB effect. Whole-brain VBM maps were used as input features to multivariate machine-learning based analyses to classify SOB. Significantly greater than chance prediction was achieved in females (overall accuracy 35%, p<0.001), but not in males (overall accuracy 26%, p=0.45). Pair-wise binary classification in females revealed the highest discrimination was obtained for winter vs. summer classification (peak area under the ROC curve=0.71, p<0.0005). Discriminating regions included fusiform and middle temporal gyrus, inferior and superior parietal lobe, cerebellum, and dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Results indicate SOB is detectable with MRI, imply SOB exerts effects on the developing human brain that persist through adulthood, and suggest neuroimaging may be a valuable intermediate phenotype in bridging the gap between SOB and personality and neurobehavioral disorders.

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Season of Birth in Panic Disorder

Cited by 13 publications

References 36 publications

Melatonin Production in Healthy Infants: Evidence for Seasonal Variations

Melatonin Production in Healthy Infants: Evidence for Seasonal Variations

Panic-Agoraphobic Spectrum and Light Sensitivity in a General Population Sample in Italy

Prediction of individual season of birth using MRI

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