Atenolol in seasonal affective disorder: a test of the melatonin hypothesis

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article No AccessAtenolol in seasonal affective disorder: a test of the melatonin hypothesisPublished Online:1 Apr 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.1.52AboutSectionsView articleAbstractPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleAbstractTo test the hypothesis that the antidepressant effects of bright light in seasonal affective disorder are mediated by the suppression of melatonin, 19 patients with this disorder were given atenolol, which suppresses melatonin secretion, and placebo in a double-blind crossover study. No difference in antidepressant efficacy was found between drug and placebo in the sample as a whole, which argues against the melatonin hypothesis of phototherapy. However, in three of the patients atenolol provided repeated, marked, and sustained relief of symptoms, suggesting that it may be useful in treating the winter depressive symptoms of some patients with seasonal affective disorder. Access content To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access. Personal login Institutional Login Sign in via OpenAthens Register for access Purchase Save for later Item saved, go to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry $35.00 Add to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry Checkout Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability. Not a subscriber? Subscribe Now / Learn More PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development. Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.). FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byLight-dependent effects on mood: Mechanistic insights from animal modelsLight therapy for mood disordersThe effects of illuminance and correlated colour temperature on daytime melatonin levels in undergraduates with sub-syndromal SAD5 November 2019 | Lighting Research & Technology, Vol. 52, No. 6Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Vol. 62Neurologic Clinics, Vol. 37, No. 3Depressive mood and circadian rhythms disturbances as outcomes of seasonal affective disorder treatment: A systematic reviewJournal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 241Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, Vol. 19, No. 11Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 58Bupropion Sustained released versus Placebo for seasonal affective Disorder26 May 2017 | Archives of Depression and AnxietyPhotothérapieEMC - Psychiatrie, Vol. 9, No. 2Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Vol. 35, No. 3médecine/sciences, Vol. 26, No. 1Chronobiology International, Vol. 24, No. 3Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, Vol. 6, No. 7CNS Spectrums, Vol. 10, No. 8Biological Rhythm Research, Vol. 36, No. 5Treatment of seasonal affective disorder: Unipolar versus bipolar differencesCurrent Psychiatry Reports, Vol. 6, No. 6EMC - Psychiatrie, Vol. 1, No. 1European Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 14, No. 4Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 63, No. 4Treatment of seasonal affective disorders1 April 2022 | Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, Vol. 5, No. 4Lichttherapie bei DepressionChronobiology International, Vol. 20, No. 2Melatonin response to atenolol administration in depression: indication of β‐adrenoceptor dysfunction in a subtype of depression23 October 2002 | Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol. 106, No. 6, Vol. 460Photoperiodism in Humans and Other Primates: Evidence and Implications29 June 2016 | Journal of Biological Rhythms, Vol. 16, No. 4Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 62, No. 3CNS Spectrums, Vol. 6, No. 6Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 53, No. 3Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association (1996), Vol. 39, No. 6Brain Research Reviews, Vol. 27, No. 3Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, Vol. 5, No. 3Pathophysiological mechanism of seasonal affective disorderJournal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 46, No. 1Influences of Melatonin on Human Orcadian Rhythms7 July 2009 | Chronobiology International, Vol. 14, No. 2Winter seasonal affective disorder: a follow-up study of the first 59 patients of the National Institute of Mental Health Seasonal Studies Program1 April 2006 | American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 153, No. 8Phototherapy & Sleep Manipulations: An Examination of Two Nondrug Biologic Interventions for Depression29 June 2016 | Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Vol. 2, No. 3International Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 86, No. 1-2Melatonine en stemmingsstoornissen18 September 2015 | Acta Neuropsychiatrica, Vol. 7, No. 3Antidepressant effect of 5-methoxypsoralen: the melatonin synchronizer hypothesis16 April 2020 | European Psychiatry, Vol. 10, No. 3Acta Neuropsychiatrica, Vol. 7, No. 2Early-morning administration of short-acting beta blockers for treatment of winter depression1 April 2006 | American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 151, No. 9Geomagnetic Storms: Association with Incidence of Depression as Measured by Hospital Admission2 January 2018 | British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 164, No. 3Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 36, No. 3Psychiatry Research, Vol. 52, No. 2Psychiatry Research, Vol. 52, No. 2Comprehensive Psychiatry, Vol. 34, No. 3International Journal of Psychophysiology, Vol. 15, No. 1British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 163, No. 3An investigation of ophthalmic function in winter seasonal affective disorder2 January 2008 | Depression, Vol. 1, No. 1The PinealBiological Psychiatry, Vol. 32, No. 5Endeavour, Vol. 16, No. 3Psychoendocrinological Aspects of Affective DisordersThe Journal of General Psychology, Vol. 118, No. 4Journal of Neural Transmission, Vol. 83, No. 1-2Psychiatry Research, Vol. 37, No. 2Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 20, No. 4Psychiatry Research, Vol. 33, No. 2International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation. Part B. Nuclear Medicine and Biology, Vol. 17, No. 7Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, Vol. 4, No. 3Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, Vol. 4, No. 1Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder with Light: Preliminary Australian Experience23 December 2019 | Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 23, No. 3Seasonality and affective illness1 April 2006 | American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 146, No. 7Bright Light Induction of Strong (Type 0) Resetting of the Human Circadian PacemakerScience, Vol. 244, No. 4910Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LVII. Seasonal Affective Disorder and Phototherapy31 August 2016 | Psychological Reports, Vol. 64, No. 3Phototherapy for Depressive Disorders: A Review1 March 1989 | The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 34, No. 2β‐Adrenergic blockers prevent short photoperiod‐induced gonadal regression, but not melatonin‐induced regression in male syrian hamsters2 June 2005 | Journal of Experimental Zoology, Vol. 249, No. 2Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 13, No. 5Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol. 12, No. 1British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 155, No. 05British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 155, No. 5Environmetal and Behavioral Influences on Affective Illness23 August 2007 | Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol. 77, No. S341Neurobiology of Seasonal Affective Disorder and Phototherapy29 June 2016 | Journal of Biological Rhythms, Vol. 3, No. 2 Volume 145Issue 1 January 1988Pages 52-56 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2006 Published in print 1 January 1988