Ms. Bauer et al., THYROID-FUNCTION BEFORE AND AFTER 4-WEEK LIGHT TREATMENT IN WINTER DEPRESSIVES AND CONTROLS, Psychoneuroendocrinology, 18(5-6), 1993, pp. 437-443
Thyroid function in patients in a current major depressive episode dur
ing the course of recurrent major mood disorder with seasonal pattern
according to DSM-IIIR was compared to that of controls before and afte
r 4 weeks' light treatment, and to that of controls at baseline and af
ter 4 weeks' of arising early without exposure to bright light. No con
sistent abnormalities in thyroxine, free thyroxine index, triiodothyro
ine, reverse triiodothyronine, thyrotropin, thyrotropin response to TR
H infusion, or thyroid autoantibodies were seen in depressives at base
line. No differences in these parameters were seen at baseline between
depressives and controls. No intergroup differences were seen with tr
eatment, although reverse T3 decreased significantly during the protoc
ol in all groups. These data do not support the hypothesis that the th
yroid axis plays a role in the pathogenesis of winter depressive sympt
oms or their response to light treatment.