RT Journal
A1 Kennedy SH, Garfinkel PE, Parienti V, Costa D, Brown GM
T1 CHanges in melatonin levels but not cortisol levels are associated with depression in patients with eating disorders
JF Archives of General Psychiatry
JO Archives of General Psychiatry
YR 1989
FD January 1
VO 46
IS 1
SP 73
OP 78
DO 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810010075010
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810010075010
AB • Disturbances were studied in the nocturnal circadian pattern of serum melatonin and plasma cortisol levels in 33 female patients with an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, n=11; bulimia nervosa, n=12; or both, n =10) and in ten female control subjects of comparable age. Blood samples were obtained hourly from 8 PM to 6 AM under controlled darkness. Serum melatonin levels in all patient groups were initially similar to those of control subjects. When patients were divided according to depression status, those with concurrent major depression had significantly lower nocturnal melatonin values than the nondepressed group. Weight did not appear to influence melatonin levels. In contrast, all patient groups had significantly higher nocturnal levels of plasma cortisol than control subjects, and neither weight nor depression separated patient groups on profiles of plasma cortisol.