Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Disrupted melatonin-secretion during alcohol withdrawal

M M Schmitz1, A Sepandj, P M Pichler

  • 1Department of Quality Assurance, Kuratorium für Psychosoziale Dienste, Wien, Austria.

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
|August 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Alcohol withdrawal disrupts nighttime melatonin secretion in chronic alcoholics, with over 50% showing significantly low levels. This disruption may stem from alcohol

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Mitigation policies, community mobility, and COVID-19 case counts in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Public health·2021
Same author

Predictors of treatment discontinuity in outpatient mental health care.

Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology·2002
Same author

[Social vulnerability, social isolation of chronic psychiatric patients].

Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)·2001
Same author

Satisfaction of inpatients and outpatients with staff, environment, and other patients.

Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.)·2001
Same author

[Utilization of psychiatric treatment. Who drops out, who comes back and who stays?].

Psychiatrische Praxis·2001
Same author

[Expectations of psychiatric patients from their outpatient and inpatient treatment].

Psychiatrische Praxis·2000

Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Chronobiology
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Melatonin synthesis is regulated by adrenergic control, influenced by the light-dark cycle via the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
  • Melatonin production exhibits a circadian rhythm, providing temporal information and influencing other biological rhythms, including reproduction in mammals.
  • Chronic alcohol consumption is known to affect various physiological systems, including hormonal regulation and circadian rhythms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of alcohol withdrawal on nocturnal melatonin secretion in chronic alcoholics.
  • To assess changes in psychopathology, sleep quality, and sleep architecture during alcohol withdrawal.
  • To explore the potential mechanisms behind altered melatonin secretion during alcohol detoxification.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • A 4-day alcohol withdrawal protocol was implemented for chronic alcoholics without medication.
  • Nocturnal melatonin secretion was measured by sampling blood via an indwelling venous catheter.
  • Sleep was monitored using polysomnography, and bright light treatment was administered on day 3.

Main Results:

  • Nighttime melatonin secretion was significantly disrupted in over 50% of patients during alcohol withdrawal, with levels remaining low (< 30 pg/ml).
  • Despite disrupted melatonin secretion, patients showed significant improvements in psychopathology, sleep quality, and sleep architecture.
  • Low melatonin secretion persisted throughout the study, suggesting a lasting toxic effect of alcohol on the biological clock or pineal function.

Conclusions:

  • Alcohol withdrawal significantly impairs nocturnal melatonin secretion in chronic alcoholics.
  • The persistent low melatonin levels may indicate long-term toxic effects of alcohol on the pineal gland's biological clock.
  • While melatonin secretion is disrupted, improvements in sleep and psychopathology suggest compensatory mechanisms during withdrawal.