THE CIRCADIAN-RHYTHM OF TEMPERATURE DURING LIGHT TREATMENT FOR WINTERDEPRESSION

Circadian rhythm abnormalities have been implicated in winter seasonal affective disorder. We examined the circadian temperature rhythm of 2 2 patients with winter depression and 10 normal controls who had parti cipated in various high-intensity light treatment experiments. We did not find abnormalities in the baseline phase or amplitude of the tempe rature rhythm in patients compared to controls. Nor did we find abnorm alities in the phase-shifting response to morning light. There was som e evidence that the ''phase-delayed'' half of the patients responded p oorly to phase advances produced by morning light, whereas the ''phase -advanced'' half of the patients responded poorly when their rhythms d elayed. However, the antidepressant responses during the best week (we ek of lowest depression score) were unrelated to temperature rhythm ph ase shifts. In general, there was not strong support for a relationshi p between circadian rhythms changes and antidepressant response.