Bimodal patterns of human melatonin secretion consistent with a two-oscillator model of regulation

Thomas A. Wehr, Paul J. Schwartz, Erick H. Turner, Susana Feldman-Naim, Christopher L. Drake, Norman E. Rosenthal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

In many animals, changes in duration of nocturnal melatonin secretion chemically mediate effects of seasonal changes in nightlength on behavior and physiology. According to one model, the changes in duration of secretion result from adjustments in the timing of two circadian oscillators, one entrained to dusk, controlling onset, and another entrained to dawn, controlling offset. Consistent with this model, in six women, we found separate and reproducible evening and morning peaks of melatonin secretion that might represent the separate expressions of rhythms of two oscillators.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)105-108
Number of pages4
JournalNeuroscience Letters
Volume194
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 14 1995
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Circadian rhythm
  • Light
  • Melatonin
  • Photoperiod
  • Season
  • Seasonal affective disorder

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Bimodal patterns of human melatonin secretion consistent with a two-oscillator model of regulation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this