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Free‐running of plasma melatonin rhythm prior to full manifestation of a non‐24 hour sleep‐wake syndrome
Author(s) -
HASHIMOTO SATOKO,
NAKAMURA KOUJI,
HONMA SATO,
HONMA KEN ICHI
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1998.tb01066.x
Subject(s) - rhythm , melatonin , circadian rhythm , entrainment (biomusicology) , free running sleep , dark therapy , medicine , psychology , endocrinology , light effects on circadian rhythm , sleep (system call) , wake , circadian clock , operating system , computer science , engineering , aerospace engineering
A long‐term observation of a sighted man who developed a non‐24 h sleep‐wake syndrome is reported. A partial entrainment was observed first, whereby the sleep‐wake rhythm was entrained by the day‐night alternation whereas the circadian rhythm in plasma melatonin was free‐running. Two years later, the sleep‐wake rhythm of this subject started to free‐run together with the melatonin rhythm. Oral administration of melatonin for 2 weeks improved the entrainability of both rhythms but failed to entrain the rhythms completely. It is concluded that the free‐running of the circadian pacemaker preceded a full manifestation of a non‐24 h sleep‐wake syndrome in this particular subject.