It is a well-known fact that winter is the time for sickness. Winter means the cold, the flu and a slew of other seasonal illnesses that are accompanied with sore throats, stuffy noses and an embarrassing amount of mucus. But what about seasonal mental health issues?
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a disease described by the National Library of Medicine as “a kind of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter.” SAD is chiefly found in people who live in environments with long winter nights or extended periods of darkness in the winter months, but anyone can experience it, regardless of location. Symptoms include fatigue, withdrawal from or refusal to participate in normal social activities, unhappiness, hopelessness and increased appetite.
Currently, there are no diagnostic tests for SAD; normally, health care providers diagnose the disease by studying the patient’s symptom history or running tests to rule out disorders similar to SAD. Because of this, many cases of SAD go undiagnosed, leading to long-depression and other mental health complications.
In conjunction with scholars from around the country, researchers at the University are studying a genetic mutation in the eye that could make an individual more vulnerable to developing SAD.
Ignacio Provencio, Cavaliers’ Distinguished Teaching Professor, was involved in a 2008 study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders that identified a gene variant and connected it with Seasonal Affective Disorder.
“If one suspects insensitivity to light as a possible cause of SAD, then looking for mutations in genes that encode light-sensitive proteins is a logical starting point,” Provencio said in an email.
The team found a mutation in the eye, which they named melanopsin, that encodes a light-sensitive protein. The gene mutation increases the amount of light needed for normal functioning, causing a problem in the darker winter months. “Lack of adequate light may be a trigger for SAD, but not the only explanation for the disorder,” Provencio said in a University press release.
Common treatment for SAD is bright light therapy, where the patient is exposed to a bank of bright lights for a period every day, but only half of those patients respond, Provencio said. “This [treatment] is analogous to overcoming mild hearing loss by turning up the volume on your iPod,” Provencio said. “The mutation we discovered can only explain at most 5 percent of all SAD cases… However, a genetic screen for the mutation may allow one to predict the efficacy of this treatment.”
With this knowledge, health care professionals may be able to more effectively diagnose and treat SAD, possibly leading to prevention as well. “An eventual understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathological response to light in SAD may lead to improved treatments,” Provencio said in the press release. Until then, individuals affected by SAD or who believe they are at risk for or suffering from the disease should visit their health care provider. With all of the common health problems associated with the winter months, it is important that mental health disorders such as SAD are not overshadowed.
Read More
Board of Visitors’ Health System Board approves University Medical Center contracts and credentials
By Lexie Stadler | March 3, 2024The University requested approval from the Board on proposed contracts with Cardinal Health LLC, a pharmaceutical company that will provide CAR T-cell therapies — a therapy used to treat cancer.
Virginia Senate passes bill to legalize medically-assisted deaths in 21-19 vote
By Zackary Holt and Caroline Hagood | February 26, 2024The House, which also holds a democratic majority, has referred the bill to the Committee for Courts of Justice for further consideration.
U.Va. Remote Area Medical chapter focuses on increasing healthcare access
By Saumya Sharma | December 13, 2023RAM members volunteer at clinics across the Southeast to provide free healthcare to local communities.
