Related Experiment Videos
Accelerated post-glucose glycaemia and altered alliesthesia-test in Seasonal Affective Disorder
K Kräuchi1, U Keller, G Leonhardt
1Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory, Psychiatric University Clinic, Basel, Switzerland. kraeuchik@ubaclu.unibas.ch
Background:
Little is known about the link between mood, food and metabolic function in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Methods:
We investigated this link in a combined glucose tolerance-alliesthesia test in eight SAD patients in winter before and after one week light therapy, and in summer.
Results:
SAD patients exhibited faster post-glucose glycaemic and insulin responses (p <0.05), and increased hedonic ratings of high concentrated sucrose solutions (p <0.035) when depressed in winter than when euthymic (one week after light treatment or in summer).
Conclusions:
The rapid glycaemic and insulin responses to an oral glucose load may be a result of accelerated gastric emptying.
Limitations:
The number of studied patients was rather small and no control group was studied in parallel.
Clinical Relevance:
the more rapid post-glucose glycaemia may impair glucose homeostasis in depressed SAD patients.