My Support Forums - View Single Post - Bipolar Check-In #49

*Beth* · Aug 20, 2020, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FluffyDinosaur

I believe this was the one I first stumbled upon: [link]. At first glance it appears to take the sensitivity to light as a given from previous research and then proceeds to investigate the effect of lithium on light sensitivity. I haven't read it in full, only skimmed it. The citations should enable you to find that previous research. This isn't my field of study, so I can't comment on the quality of the journal, but the paper didn't raise any obvious red flags for me in terms of quality.

The link is times out for me, unfortunately.

There's this: Impact of sunlight on the age of onset of bipolar disorder

"Many lines of evidence converge to support the idea that a large monthly increase in solar insolation may be associated with the emergence of bipolar disorder. (i) Clinicians have long noted circadian abnormalities in patients with bipolar disorder, including sensitivity to light and sleep/wake cycle disturbances (31, 45). Even small circadian rhythm changes may be associated with adverse health outcomes such as suicide risk (46). (ii) Some patients with bipolar disorder experience seasonal variation (47). (iii) Light therapy for depression has induced a switch to mania in some patients (48, 49). (iv) Studies of seasonal variation in suicide have reported a spring peak in countries with large fluctuations in solar insolation, such as in northern Europe, and no peak near the equator (23, 50–52). (v) Violent suicide has been associated with an increase in sunlight duration (53), and this may involve seasonal variation in serotonergic, metabolic, and immune system variables (54–56). (vi) Within the brain, there is a seasonal variation in the concentration of serotonin and serotonin transporter binding (57, 58), and serotonin production is stimulated by light exposure (57). (vii) Patients with bipolar disorder may have abnormalities in melatonin secretion (59). (viii) There may be a genetic component underlying human rhythm disorders (30), and circadian gene polymorphisms may increase susceptibility to bipolar disorder (60). (ix) Light exerts effects through retinal ganglion cells, which are separate from rods and cones and have non-visual functions, including regulation of the biological clock (61). Overall, there is strong evidence that light affects human neurophysiology and behavior."