Accelerated post-glucose glycaemia and altered alliesthesia-test in Seasonal Affective Disorder

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 23 - 26
• Main Authors: Kräuchi, Kurt, Keller, Ulrich, Leonhardt, Georg, Brunner, Daniel P, van der Velde, Peter, Haug, Hans-Joachim, Wirz-Justice, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Affect; Alliesthesia; Appetite; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - analysis; Body Mass Index; Calorimetry, Indirect - methods; Carbohydrate craving; Depression; Dietary Carbohydrates - metabolism; Female; Gastric Emptying; Glucose tolerance; Glucose Tolerance Test; Humans; Insulin; Insulin - blood; Insulin - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Phototherapy - methods; Prospective Studies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Seasonal Affective Disorder; Seasonal Affective Disorder - blood; Seasonal Affective Disorder - therapy; Time Factors; Glucose tolerance; Seasonal Affective Disorder; Alliesthesia; Carbohydrate craving; Insulin; Mood disorder; Human; Seasonal variation; Depression; Glucose tolerance test; Metabolism
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-0327(98)00085-8

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.