Accelerated Post-glucose Glycaemia and Altered Alliesthesia-test in Seasonal Affective Disorder

Background: Little is known about the link between mood, food and metabolic function in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Methods: We investigated this link in a combined glucose tolerance-alliesthesia test in eight SAD patients in winter before and after one week light therapy, and in summer.

Results: SAD patients exhibited faster post-glucose glycaemic and insulin responses (p <0.05), and increased hedonic ratings of high concentrated sucrose solutions (p <0.035) when depressed in winter than when euthymic (one week after light treatment or in summer).

Conclusions: The rapid glycaemic and insulin responses to an oral glucose load may be a result of accelerated gastric emptying.

Limitations: The number of studied patients was rather small and no control group was studied in parallel.

Clinical Relevance: the more rapid post-glucose glycaemia may impair glucose homeostasis in depressed SAD patients.